Soundwave's Playlist on Shuffle
by RogueRaven21
Summary: The music challenge that's floating around the fanfic world gets a trip through my 5000 plus playlist! Various characters, pairings, time frames, and verses. Take a trip through and enjoy!
1. Shuffle One

A/N: This is all Master Okami's fault. She recommended that I post these up here. I warn you, they're pretty rough. Unfortunatly, I don't remember where I found these directions, but I think they're pretty common. As a note, I always do 15 of these, cause I like doing there so much! The longer I do these, the better they get (at least I think so.... you can disagree if you want)

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Writing: Put your entire music collection on shuffle, hit play, and write. Write for as long as each song plays and move on to a different writing when the song switches(even if it's mid-sentence). Go for ten songs(or five). If nothing comes, it still counts. If you're listening to a comedian, you can skip it.

**Violet by Birthday Massacre**

Chromia watched the performance of the dancers featured in the Iacon hall, wishing she didn't have to be there by herself. At times she really hated the fact that Ironhide was the one that trained

**Hanging By a Moment by Lifehouse**

Springer stood outside Arcee's quarters. He wanted to go in the room and tell her exactly how he felt about her but for the first time in his existence he was honest to Primus afraid. He'd faced down lines of Decepticons, certain death, but the idea having actually having to admit to her (and himself) that he'd fallen completely in love with her was something far more terrifying. He knew she would smile when he went in, but would she still smile when he finished speaking?

**No Matter What off of Yu-Gi-Oh! **

He used to be one of their friends, one of their best friends in the world, but he'd turned his back on them. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe actually hesitated the first time they met him in battle. Despite his choice they couldn't blame him for the side he chose, even if it meant that they could never be the friends they had been back in the academy. Sometimes though in battle, he would be the one who hesitated or would say something the referenced to a joke back in the day and they hoped.

**St. Theresa by Joan Osborne**

Prowl never forgot the time he saw the femme standing on the corner if Kaon, back before the war. He knew what she was doing, she didn't make it a secret, and she even made a remark to him as he went past.

"I should arrest you for what you're doing out here." He warned.

She smiled at him sadly. "Yes, I guess you should. But ask yourself: if you didn't have the luck of making it like you did, how would you make it from one day to the next?"

Her words silenced him, and he left her there. He spent the next several cycles contemplating her words and wondered what he would do.

He never saw her down there again, and over the years he wondered, on occasion what had ever happened to her.

**Good Night by Klaus Badelt**

Ironhide looked out the view port watching the stars as they past by. Even though his optics were on-line, he didn't see them. In his processor's optic, he saw the beautiful blue of Chromia's armor, the glitter of her optics. It had been too long since he'd seen her, and ever breem he was away from her, he feared he would forget her voice, her touch, her smile. The idea of losing those things scared him more than any Decepticon.

**The Athlete's Rag by Piano Squall**

Prowl held his helm in his hands and groaned, fighting to keep his battle computer from crashing. Over the comm, he could only hear the Twins whooping, yelling and laughing to music from video games.

**Ninja Tattoo by Shanadoo**

Sideswipe grinned and leaned closer to the femme sitting across the bar from him. She laughed shyly as he topped off her cube of High Grade. Sunny would kill him later, he would bet his entire videogame collection on it, but for slag's sake, the femme could have floored Soundwave with her looks. Yes, he knew Sunny was trying to pick the femme up, but it wasn't his fault he'd gotten a bad duty pull

**Cereal Boxes (Lady in the Water) by James Newton Howard**

(Please see Everything Needs More, Chapter Hope)

**Ghost of Reach (Halo 2) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori**

He'd never seen anything so beautiful. The gas clouds of the plant swirled in a pattern of unrivaled gloriousness. Too bad he was about to deploy and would be partaking in its general destruction. Oh well, the universe had plenty of beauty

**The Power of Love from the American Sailor Moon**

"There is no way in the Pit I'm going in there." Ironhide stated, leaving no room for discussion.

"You're going in there or I'm telling Chromia you were too scared to go into a shopping mall." Ratchet growled back, giving the larger mech a shove towards the massive building.

"I hate you, I hope to Primus you realize that."

"Yeah, yeah, now get in there!"

**Two of a Kind Working on A Full House by Garth Brooks**

"I'm totally telling." Sideswipe giggled evilly.

"And I'm going to totally kill you if you do." Sunstreaker growled quietly back.

"You. Did. Moonracer." Bluestreak goggled from behind the red twin.

"If you don't shut up I'm going to gut you both."

**Torn Apart by Stabbing Westward**

The Wreckers dove into the battlefield, but one led the charge screaming unintelligibly in his own private rage and pain. Springer made a processor note to try and talk to Sandstorm, but he honestly felt that maybe this battle was far more therapeutic than a talking to. The orange triplechanger wouldn't stop when he reached the Decepticon soldier. Even when the enemy mech stopped moving, Sandstorm didn't stop hammering on the denting metal.

**Go! by Flow**

Jazz loved Earth. It was a well-known fact that no one disputed. He loved the music most of all and had picked up a habit of creating play lists for the battles they were going into. He always had a general fighting list, but if he knew whom they were going against, it was even better because he could customize it. He also had a habit of figuring out what Decepticon group hated what genre of music and made sure the list consisted of nothing but. This became a problem however when even the Autobots hated the choice genre. On the bright side, it became motivation in itself to win.

**Finish the Fight by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori**

"Why do you fight?" The femme's voice came across calm and emotionless.

"I fight for those that need me." Optimus answered. He looked back to see Elita One standing in the doorway.

"Then fight well."

"I do. I fight for you." With that he walked out.


	2. Shuffle Two

A/N: okay, you know the drill! I try to get these done once a week. Anything that isn't IDW/G1 I try to label, but sometimes I forget.

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**I Miss you by Blink-182**

Orion Pax checked his chrono again, wishing his shift would hurry up and end. He needed to find Ariel before the damage he did the night before became permanent. The argument they had the night before had been stupid on so many levels it couldn't even begin to seem humorous. The worst part had to be that he had kept pushing the argument, kept making remarks he knew would upset her. He could only hope he could still fix it.

**She's Actual Size by They Might Be Giants**

Elita One could not be considered an imposing Cybertronian by any way or means. Nonetheless, she could walk through any corridor or passageway on any base or ship and every mech in the vicinity stepped aside for her.

**I'm Back from Yu-Gi-Oh!**

Smokescreen walked into the rec room and his optics instantly fell on Bluestreak jabbering away with friends at a table. Without hesitating, the older Datsun marched over and put a heavy hand on the mech. Clenching the young bot's shoulder struts with enough power to bend the armor plating, Smokescreen leaned over and vocalized quite menacingly "We need to talk."

Bluestreak's optics widened in sudden fear and alarm as he registered who was behind him. Without another word he nodded and stood up.

**a poem of a small history by Angela**

Springer would absolutely murder them when he found out. They all knew the situation had no possibility of 'if' he found out. He would and he would finally carry out every single threat he had ever vocalized to the seven of them as a whole. They also agreed their immanent demise would be totally, totally worth it. How often did they actually get to record their energized leader sweet-talking some femme, and then get to send it not only to Arcee, but also to the entire Autobot army?

Yes, their demise would be painful, but he couldn't erase the footage.

**Before It's Too Late by The Goo Goo Dolls**

Hotrod watched Springer talking to Arcee across the room. He never thought himself a shy or reluctant mech, but really! He couldn't complete with his best friend of all mechs for the attention of the pretty, smart, kind femme that sat there. The worst part to him was seeing that she really liked the triplechanger, but then she would look over at him. In those instants he thought maybe, he had a chance.

**Lightening Crashes by Lifehouse**

Ratchet didn't know what to say. For the first time in his entire medical career he didn't know what to say. No curses could make it past his vocalizer. All he could do was sit down in his chair like a sack of bricks in his shock. Finally, only one word escaped his vocalizer: "How…"

"I don't really know what to tell you." First Aid shrugged. He had never come across a situation that could do this to Ratchet and he made a note to remember it.

"What do we tell Optimus?"

**Kimi Wo Notsete (from Laputa) on Anipara Club-Para Para Dance 1**

Moonracer laughed as she danced under the Cybertronian night sky. She loved the parties Blaster and Jazz threw after the work shifts were over in the club they rented for the occasion. The femmes and mechs mingled, chatted, danced, and if someone got lucky, something more intimate. The teal femme didn't care about hooking up as much as some of her friends did; she came to have a good time. She knew when she was being watched though

**Only in America by Brooks & Dunn**

Kup looked over his latest batch of recruits and forced himself to kill the smile that threatened to break out over his faceplates. They were fresh, eager, and probably the best group he had ever seen. The triplechanger held himself like someone who could lead. The quiet black and white one watched the others carefully, gauging their strengths, a sure sign of a tactician. The other black and white moved like an espionage agent already. He had a good group, and couldn't wait to see what they'd do.

**Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls**

Optimus Prime watched the snowfall outside the view port and quietly contemplated the last eternity of war. The war had claimed so many and showed no sign of ending any where in the foreseeable future.

"Hey, Optimus." Jazz called somberly from behind the semi. "We found this on patrol."

When the Autobot leader turned, his optics widened at the sight of the thing in espionage expert's hands.

**Fuel by Metallica**

Sideswipe peeled out of the Ark leaving the smell of burning rubber behind him. The desert dust under his tires flew out like a sandstorm that followed him however he turned. He had to burn of some stress and driving like a maniac seemed like the only thing that would make him feel better. His engine screamed and edged closer to red lining the faster he went, but he didn't care and just himself harder. Just as warnings started flashing over his HUD, he dropped speed to make a hairpin 90 degree turn and roared onwards into the night. Nothing could beat the feeling of the cool night wind rushing over his chassis, the dirt flying under him, nothing.

**Blue on Black by Kenny Wayne Shepard**

(Please see Everything Needs More, chapter Reality)

**Half-Truism by the Offspring**

The Wreckers knew what they were good at: wrecking and ruling. They fought, they killed, they kicked aft and took names. At the end of the cycle, they made sure they were all accounted for and made sure they never left anyone behind. They depended on each other for so much: back up, camaraderie, family, and drinking buddies. They were everything to each other. They had to do horrible things in their line of work and they knew, no matter what, every single one of them would do everything in their power to make sure the job got done and they went home.

**Wicked Game by Chris Isaak**

He knew he should never, ever have gotten that lucky. He didn't deserve Chromia, everything about her screamed 'too good' for him. It didn't matter, she chose him. Over all the others she could have taken back to her berth, she chose him. He knew that he would only hit that level of luck once and better do something with it before it ran out. He knew she'd watched him for the past vorn every chance she got. There was no way he'd let her get away.

**Prologue (Halo2) Martin O Donnell & Michael Salvatori**

It always hurt to loose one of their own. Especially when they lost someone not to war, but to an accident that, with a little care, could have been avoided entirely.

**Word Up by Korn**

Sunstreaker walked into the bar and grinned like a devil. His Intel (i.e. Jazz) hadn't let him down: the place couldn't have held another femme if they tried. Not only were there femmes packed in the space, every single one of them was a hot piece of chassis. And he planned on doing everything in his power to get as much of them as he could.


	3. Shuffle Three

A/N: In case you haven't noticed, there are a few characters I like to abuse more than others. Anything with Wreckers is highly, highly inspired by AJRemix's What Wrong With a Little Destruction. Master Okami's blame is coming.

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**maybe..maybe… angela**

Chromia checked her gun for the umpteenth time to verify the power level and swore again. Her shots were running low and she still had to lead her team out of the Decepticon base. Unfortunately, someone had tripped the alarm (why in the name of Primus did Elita keep sending Moonracer with them?) leaving the halls of the building swarming with blasted battle drones. She looked back at her team: Moonracer, Firestar, and Novarunner. They all looked back at her and, in turn, each nodded solemnly. She nodded back and sprang from her position, gun blazing. The three femmes at her back were right behind her, making sure none of the stray shots hit Autobot armor. They got into trouble and they'd get out.

**Everything by Lifehouse**

Springer didn't normally consider himself a romantic mech, not by a long shot. He could command an elite team, plan battle strategies, had the ability to name, care for, and fire a vast number of weapons, but couldn't think of anything to give Arcee that could qualify as 'romantic.' Instead of following any established traditions, he did something that would fry Prowl's battle computer: he winged it. With a case of High Grade and a single crystarose he knocked on her door and waited. When she opened it, the smile that lit up her beautiful face let him know that he'd done it right. Her smile didn't waver as she accepted the perfect blossom with one hand and dragged the triplechanger inside the dark room with the other. Oh yeah, he'd done all right.

**I Want You by Savage Garden**

Bluestreak looked across the rec room and grinned like an idiot. Trailbreaker would never know what hit him. No one would see it coming and it might just throw the rumor spreading off kilter just long enough for the Datsun to make some progress with the more reserved mech. Sideswipe had stated (quite loudly and with lots of volume) that there was (quote) 'no way in the slagging Pit that Trailbreaker would ever fragging go for it.' The gunner knew he didn't go after the black mech to prove Sides wrong, but that made it better.

**Go Speed Go by Ali Dee**

"TURN THAT FRAGGING MUSIC OFF!!!" Prowl's vocalizer strained as he tried to make himself heard over the volume of sound that emanated from the red Lamborghini.

Sideswipe honestly didn't hear anything the tactician said, really. The Speed Racer theme song had to be some of the best driving music in the universe, and Sides didn't consider himself a musically inclined mech. He knew that back in the Ark, Jazz would be dancing and generally having a good time while pissing off Prowl more than the music alone.

**Simple Man by Shinedown**

(Movie)

Ironhide sat out in the mountains by himself, watching the sunset as it burned blood red through the sky. The war had gone on for so long, he didn't remember what it felt like not to fight. He found himself facing the question of what to do next. He had been a warrior for longer than not by this point and the idea of not having an enemy, of not having to constantly watch his back, he felt lost. His proximity alarm went off, but he quickly recognized Ratchet coming up behind him. The CMO didn't say a word. He just sat down, put a hand on Ironhide's shoulder strut and watched the sunset.

**Once Upon Another Dream by no secrets**

Back when they were much, much younger and had barely begun courting Ironhide had taken Chromia out to one of the nightspots in Iacon. He had just started as a training instructor at the Academy, and he feared the idea of loosing the slim of amount of respect he had gained to join the blue femme on the floor. Instead, he contented himself to watch her dance and laugh and made sure to save the capture deep in his memory core.

**Gotta Go My Own Way by Gabriella and Troy**

Prowl looked at Ultra Magnus and couldn't say anything. The look the larger mech gave him felt like a punch in the spark, but the tactician wouldn't let himself break his gaze. He had just told the mech he had chosen Optimus Prime's unit and they were leaving within the decacycle. They would be leaving Cybertron and that meant that Ultra Magnus would be left behind. Neither said a word, they just continued to share the look

**Hero by Enrique Inlesias**

Hotrod tightened his arms around the pink femme that recharged beside him. Without conscious thought, one arm reached out to the triplechanger on her other side as well. The time since they had last spent time like this was too long to count. They spent the cycles just lying there together, relaxing and revealing in the feeling of the other two sparks finally being near again. Too often

**Deora Ar Mo Chroi by Enya**

Peace descended over the Ark and the inhabitants inside. Except for the skeleton crew of sentries, ever mech and femme on the ship were in their quarters (or their lovers) and in quiet recharge. Stillness had arrived onboard and not one single spark in the place was willing to challenge it. For Primus' sake even the twins were keeping quiet.

**Thnks Fr Th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy**

Sunstreaker was pissed. The mech in front of him (did he even know this mech?) had just said one stupid thing too many. He hadn't had the urge to beat the fellow's head in with his own arm until the nut made some not so polite comment about twins and Sideswipe in general. The golden mech didn't normally turn murderous at such silly statements, but this mech would know his mistake and immense pain simply for insulting his brother and he would enjoy every second of it.

**The Council of Elrond by Howard Shore**

The place made his intakes hitch. The moonlight reflected off the cool water, rippled by the large fish that lived in the shallow depths. Hound knew in that instant that he had finally found a planet that he fully understood. He, unlike his comrades, loved the organic nature of the planet and didn't want to leave it before he saw everything. Even though he didn't share it, he was willing to stay behind if the others left before he could complete his personal goal. The wonders of the Earth seemed far more important that other things that had popped up in the past.

**The fool of the Fairy Tale by angela**

Trailbreaker wandered the roadways of Cybertron. He didn't care where he went. He just wanted to get away. Away from everything: the memories, the feelings, everything. But no matter how far he drove, those very things he was trying to get away from followed him like the shadow attached to him. If that relationship (even in it had fallen into levels of 'mistake' and 'stupid') had failed, would any others be worth it? He knew what his friends would say, and didn't want to hear it at the moment. For now he felt almost at peace as he continued on into the darkened streets.

**I Think I Love You by The Partridge Family**

"This is insanity." Springer stared at Prowl with a look that reflected the statement he'd just made. The tactician just gave him a bored look and tapped a finger on the datapad that held the plan in question.

"If you aren't up to it-"

"I didn't say that." The triplechanger knew that someday, he really would either kill the mech in front of him or do some other serious damage. Like overload him. Whoa! Where'd that come from?

**Morning After by Chester Bennington**

Skywarp twitched in his recharge. After their last battle they had received orders to stay grounded and out of sight for a few days, at least until the active searches for them ended. The Seekers had grudgingly agreed to follow the orders but everyone knew it was only a matter of time before one of the six slipped out to feel the wind. The groundation had gone on long enough to start affecting not only they're general attitudes, but even their recharge and refueling habits.

"'Warp get up! We can go!" Thundercracker's words hadn't left his vocalizer before the teleporter had hit the floor

**B'omarr Monastery (Star Wars Clone Wars)**

The very feeling the world gave them instantly had the Autobots on guard. The way the air shifted in rapid, random intervals. The smell of rotting vegetation and flesh. The lingering impression of death in every abandoned structure. Something terrible had happened to the inhabitants of the world and for once it didn't go back to Megatron.

"I think we need to leave. Now." Prowl murmured.

"Wait." Prime


	4. Shuffle Four

A/N: I have a very broad taste in music, just in case that wasn't already apparent. Any song with the label "Sticky Verse" is from Okamichan's Sticky Situations (you can find her on my favs list) which is an awesome story and has spawned rabid bunnies in my brain. Sunstreaker tried to squish most of them, but a few wound up in here. So go read Okami's then come back here!

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**Tearin' It Up and Burnin' It Down by Garth Brooks**

Leave. It truly had to be the best word in the human vocabulary. It gave them the opportunity to get away from the Ark and generally cut loose. Yes, they often got into trouble during that time period (rumors swirled that some of the Autobots found themselves in an impound lot one morning and had no memory file on how they got there) and they all knew Red Alert had to be having a break down back in the Ark. With the music blaring and lights strobing, none of the mechs present really cared.

**I Love Rock 'N Roll by Joan Jett**

Moonracer looked across the Energon bar and spotted the mech watching her in a sparkbeat. The minibots often hung around the social spot, but this one came every night she did and always watched her. He didn't give her the feeling of malicious intent, more that he didn't have the pluck to walk over to her. With a smile, the teal femme slid off her stool and made her way across the room.

**Disconnected by The Dreaming**

They had all left someone back on Cybertron. Mechs and femmes they called friend, family, lover. Everyone on the Ark knew what any other felt simply because they felt it too. No one mentioned it, but everyone held onto the fear that they would always feel the distance and pain of being separated. They all knew the possibility their loved ones had already perished crossed their processors, but it remained a taboo subject.

**Save Yourself by Stabbing Westward**

Sideswipe quietly watched his brother beat a training drone to pieces. He didn't know what to say to his brother that could help ease the pain. He wanted to reach out to his twin, but at the same time, he had to deal with a similar problem. Sunstreaker had found out (the bad way) that Tracks had hooked up with Ultra Magnus while the golden mech was away on missions. Unfortunately, the red twin had come back from his own mission to find that Bumblebee had replaced him with a femme.

**Scarborough Fair by Sarah Brightman**

(Sticky verse what if)

Sunstreaker would never admit it to anyone. For frag's sake, he barely admitted it to himself. As he watched her dance in rehearsal, oblivious to everything except the music and her movements, he knew why he chose her to model for him time and again.

To him, she embodied a unique beauty he had never seen anywhere else or in anyone else.

He quietly slipped out of the hall. No one needed to know he'd ever came.

**Sneaking Under the Shield (Star Wars Clone Wars)**

Ravage crept through the night on metal paws that made only the faintest whisper on the desert sand. Like the creature he had taken his form from, the cassette stalked his prey with grace and skill unmatched by any other. His quarry shifted rapidly. It knew he was there, and approaching. Cables tensed as the lithe mech prepared to spring. This particular piece of prey had escaped him before but not tonight. The panther's legs propelled him forward and he tackled the unsuspecting mech to the ground.

"AH! Ravage! Get off!!" Rumble yelled pitifully under his comrade.

**What is Love by Haddaway**

Bluestreak sat in the corner of the rec room alone and staring into the depths of his Energon cube. He should have known better than to pursue Sideswipe and expect something long term from him. The gunner knew the Lambo's reputation around the Ark, everyone did. Somehow, Bluestreak had fooled himself into thinking he could somehow convince the red twin to change. At least he hadn't been cruel to the younger mech, not in the way of Sunstreaker when he'd shot the Datsun down before he even tried.

**Mr. Vain by DJ Maurice**

Sunstreaker gave the femme in his faceplates a mastered sneer. She apparently decided to tell the yellow twin exactly what she processed about him and he decided to handle like he did every thing else.

"Somehow you think that I give a flying frag about what you think." He leaned closer and let his vocalizer drop to a whisper. "Trust me, I don't even care about you."

With that he turned away and resumed his conversation with a femme that decided she didn't mind his personality for the night.

**Love Shack by The B-52's**

Prime, Ultra Magnus, Prowl and the rest of the commanding officers had all left the Ark for some peace conference on the over side of the planet leaving the Wreckers, Twins, Aerialbots all at the base unsupervised. Granted, no one really knew who had put a sign that read "Love Shack" outside the rec room, but by the time the leaders returned, no one really cared. Optimus and Ultra Magnus looked at each other, then at the destroyed wreck that had been the Ark when they left and just sighed. Prowl eyed the sign above the door and then at the room itself and just shook his head. Every surface remained covered in either empty Energon cubes or off-line mechs recharging from a serious overenergizing.

**Lost Cause by Scapegoat Wax**

Cliffjumper marched through the halls of the Ark with his usual chip on his shoulder and attitude in place. He knew what the others thought of him and didn't really care. He did his job, kicked Decepticon aft and made it home alive. If the others didn't want to know who he really was, that rested completely on their shoulder struts, not his. He would always do what he had to, and nothing more unless he felt like it. They didn't like it they could all kiss his tailpipe.

**I Wish I Could Go Back to College from Avenue Q**

Springer and Hotrod sat in the Ark rec room sitting away from all the others as they worked on their cubes of Energon. Neither could remember how they got on the particular subject of their Academy days. Some how, no matter how much better they were at the present, there was something depressing about realizing how long ago they'd left the training halls.

**Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow**

Hound knew he just could not explain to anyone, not even Trailbreaker, why he enjoyed driving through the desert. He enjoyed the feeling of the sun warming his plating, the wind running over him, the sand slipping beneath his tires, and even the irritation of said sand in his gears. His drives were his way of truly relaxing. He never raced across the open landscape like Sideswipe. Instead, he drove at a leisurely speed. The best part though, he knew when he finished his drive Trailbreaker would still be waiting at the doors to welcome him back.

**The No-No Song by Ringo Star**

"Oh Primus my helm! Why? Why did I do it? My processor can't even process what I even did!"

Silverbolt looked over and Slingshot and raised an optic ridge. "You went out with the twins. They brought you back at dawn. What happened between the time you left and came back is your problem. I thought you knew better."

**White Reflection by Two-Mix**

(Sticky verse What if)

Sideswipe grinned as he and his twin watched the femme on the stage sing. To say the Energon bar had seen better days could not have been a bigger understatement, but the sparkling green femme in the spotlight made the place so much more. The red merchant moved some with the music and knew the beautiful femme would wind up somewhere big, some vorn, Slag, Sunstreaker had already told him he wanted her as a model.

Vorns later, she did become something big, not in with singing like in her original plan, but in dance.

**Save Me by Shinedown**

Sunstreaker let a scream rip through his vocalizer as he destroyed the table in his quarters. Even the shriek of metal ripping couldn't ease the horrible feeling of furious rage, burning hatred and incurable pain. He should have known Tracks would betray him. In the end, no one except Sideswipe could ever handle who he really was.


	5. Shuffle Five

A/N: Okay, confession time. I don't sit down and write all 15 in one shot, especially when I'm busy in real life. I'm also often very tired (like about to faceplant on the keyboard) when I write these. Those are the only explanations I have as to why I have the same song up here twice in the same week. Sunstreaker and Stabbing Westward, what can I say? And wondering who the 'she' is in those sticky!verse ones? Stay tuned, she'll have her time in the spotlight soon enough. And Wreckers should not watch anime. EVER.

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**So Far Away by Stabbing Westward**

Sunstreaker stopped at the entrance of the rec room and turned back the way he'd come. He'd heard Track's voice, so unmistakable, across the space and he knew. He knew that if he walked into that room at this moment he would be in the brig before the end of the next cycle. Primarily because a particular officer had decided to join the lowly peasants and the artist had, so far, avoided "Assaulting an Officer." If he went in, the only accomplishment would be getting that specific honor before Sideswipe.

**Vivienne's Death from the Mists of Avalon**

Nothing remained of the city but rubble and smoke. The Decepticon attack had caught everyone by surprise, especially those who had, mere moments before been in those buildings. The horror existed beyond words and thoughts. Those that survived searched for their loved ones, hoping against hope that somehow everyone escaped.

**Kiss the Girl (Pop Version) by Ashley Tisdale**

Sideswipe grinned. He often grinned, but this particular grin made other mechs very nervous. They didn't really have anything to worry about this time. He just couldn't stop grinning at Springer. The triplechanger made the mistake of telling the Lambo he had it bad for Arcee but didn't know what to do. The red twin did the only thing he could: teased and shoved Springer out in front of the proverbial bus, or in this case a pink femme. Sideswipe made a note to tell the green mech he really wasn't doing that badly.

**Space Cowboy by N*Sync**

Nobody really minded when Astrotrain listened to music while he transported them, but his CHOICE of music absolutely drove them crazy. It just didn't make any sense why the Decepticon's more powerful triplechanger listened to sparkling femme human's singing idols. No one dared report it to Megatron because he either wouldn't believe them or he'd shoot whoever reported it. The worst part of all had to be that the Autobot Cosmos knew the triplechanger listened to the music. Not just that he knew about it but that the UFO joined in!

**Angelicus by Delerium**

(Sticky verse what if)

She watched him as she danced. Her optics never left his as her body swayed and twisted. Across the crowded hall, packed with more mechs and femmes than she didn't even bother to try and estimate, she kept her optics locked on with his. They were beautiful like her: a blue colder than frozen nitrogen and they simple begged for anyone to dare challenge her. He knew later he would see her, feel her, and would watch those optics go dark as he made her writhe under his touch.

**The Thunder Rolls (Live) By Garth Brooks**

Blaster slipped through the doors of the Ark in the dead of night, hoping that no one would see him. If they did, he hoped no one would ask him where he'd vanished to for the evening. He couldn't help it. He HAD to go and see the Decepticon's communication officer. There were decisions the Autobot made well before the war started that he had to live with and abide by. He knew if he were caught, he wouldn't be the only facing the consequences. Others covered for him, just like he covered for those who had made similar decisions.

**Petals of Wisdom by Anzan**

She moved through her life as if everything belonged to her and remained precisely where she deemed it. In truth, she felt incredibly alone. She only, out of all the other femmes, had come to Earth with Ultra Magnus' team. Arcee found herself at the heart of the entire Ark's speculation. She had known it would eventually get her into trouble, becoming so close with her squad's leader, Springer and Hotrod. She knew most of the underhanded remarks were made out of jealousy, as the Earth bound mechs hadn't seen their femmes in vorns.

**Preparation Montage (from National Treasure)**

"Flame thrower?"

"Flame thrower."

"Flame thrower fuel?"

"Flame thrower fuel."

"Let's wreck and rule." Sandstorm slapped the fuel canister into place and approached the cold storage unit situated in their designated prep room on the Hub. Scoop acted as both backup and the one assigned to go get Topspin if things got bad. They (no one quite knew who to blame) had left some organic material in the unit before the last string of missions and whatever it was had grown. Grown to the point that the fearless team drew straws to figure out who would 'take care' of the problem. Sandstorm won (or lost depending on whose perspective it was) and 'voluntold' Scoop into helping him.

**For Emily, Whenever I may Find Her by Simon and Garfunkle**

He would recognize the blue gleam of chassis anywhere, even if vorns had past since he had seen it last. He could only hold her close to his chest, feeling silent tears run from her optics and down his chestplate. He hadn't realized until that moment just how badly he had missed her.

**Ninja Rap by Vanilla Ice**

Prowl knew his battle computer was on the verge of crashing, every diagnostic program he possessed told him the same. The twins had decided to mimic an extinct subculture of humans called 'ninjas' as their entertainment of the cycle. He knew they were coming up with new ways to crash his computer and send him into stasis on purpose. At this point there was no other explanation that wouldn't send the said computer over the brink. At that moment he vowed to string them up where they couldn't get Internet access for a very, very long time.

**Be My Baby Tonight by John Michael Montgomery**

Jazz grinned at Firestar. That smile and the High Grade he'd offered her did the trick. He ignored the glares of Sideswipe, Cliffjumper, Inferno and Red Alert. It really wasn't his fault the femme had blown every single one of them off in the course of a breem, and all it had taken to win her over was one look from the Porsche.

**So Far Away by Stabbing Westward**

Sunstreaker stared at the canvas in front of him. He had almost finished it, one of his best works since the war started. On the taunt material, Tracks looked back at him and the painting's smirk just added to the rage he already felt. Later, others would speculate that he had broken out in a fit of rage, but in truth, the opposite occurred. The golden mech calmly picked up the knife he used for clay sculptures and carefully slashed the unfinished painting to strips of colored material that littered the corners of his quarters for cycles.

**I Will Survive by Cake**

Sideswipe lounged on the sofa in the rec room watching the news feed and sipping his Energon. He knew slagging well that Bumblebee had come in the room minus one teal femme and hadn't moved a servo. He could see the yellow mech in the reflection of the screen and watched as the others greeted him and carried on like an uncomfortable tension hadn't filled the room. The red mech refused to leave. He had every intention of staying exactly where he sat. One, he had gotten there first and two, Sunstreaker was currently destroying things in their quarters. The tension borderlined unbearable, but he refused to let it show how much the smaller mech had hurt him.

**Infiltrating Ziro's Lair (Star Wars Clone Wars)**

They all knew it was a trap. A trap with Skywarp's name scribbled all over it. Deep in a dark cave, in front of a flight of stairs, no source of light to be found and the Primus slagging laughter that echoed off the walls.

"Hey! Don't push!" Gears yelled, and shoved an elbow back.

Someone pushed in return

**Hit That by The Offspring**

"I want to know who started the story and I want to know right now." Springer demanded, glaring at his team.

The Wreckers looked back at him, a hologram of utter innocence. They knew that he didn't know who started it and intended to keep it that way. In truth, Sandstorm and Whirl were the culprits that started the story that Springer had interfaced with the entire femme unit and made it convincing enough that Ironhide was gunning for the green triplechanger.


	6. Shuffle Six

A/N: ^_^ Kudos go out to Sunstreaker and Master Okami for their total awesomeness! At long last, the mysterious mech that captured Trailbreaker's spark is revealed! A sliver of the past of the mysterious femme based in Okamichan's Sticky Situations is brought to light! Enjoy more songs (and Repo! The Genetic Opera is totally awesome based on music alone) as I race off to finish prep for con!

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**Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw**

"Why do you do it?"

He got that question a lot. Mechs, femmes, and even their human friends always asked him at least once. Why he ran head first in battle. Why he volunteered for missions. Why he played the tricks. Why he shagged anyone he could. Every time they did, he gave them all the same answer. He would grin his infamous grin, shift his weight back on one foot, and tilt his head to the side. He let air cycle through his ventilators and said rather quietly: "The way things are going, I'm going to die relatively young, and I'm going to make fragging sure I don't have any regrets." No one could argue with him on that.

**Orange Crush by R.E.M.**

Trailbreaker didn't know what to say when he saw the orange triplechanger for the first time since they left Cybertron. He hadn't changed. The mech still teased and grinned like the devil even when no one paid him much mind. All the black mech could suddenly remember was the nights he'd spent in that Energon bar, blowing his credits on the best High Grade because of him. As far as he knew, no one in Springer's team knew what happened. Only a few close friends of Trailbreaker's knew, and he intended to keep it that way.

**Officer Jimbo (From Lady in the Water)**

The moonlight reflected off the water in a rippled band of light. Something never seen on Cybertron and she wanted to make sure she remembered it. The femme stepped closer to the edge where the water, black in the night where the light didn't touch it, met the sand. She couldn't allow herself these quiet moments very often. She had her team to lead and collaborations with Optimus and she had learned long ago to make sacrifices.

**Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham **

(Sticky Situations Verse)

Sideswipe knew his reputation preceded him wherever he went, but this beautiful blue femme struck him as different from the rest. For once, he wanted more than just a recharge cycle with her. He wanted to spend time with her, love her, and make her happy. She knew his reputation though (maybe he shouldn't have interfaced with all of her friends). Maybe he'd get lucky and she'd give him a chance.

**Anyway by Martina McBride**

They lost another battle. The Decepticons were just too well organized, armed, and populated. Ironhide looked over at the others who had survived and saw something in every single one of their optics. They weren't discouraged. Hopeful didn't even seem strong enough. It was more that they still believed. They still believed in themselves, in their strength, and most importantly in the Autobot cause. Despite the destruction and death around him, the security officer smiled. They would win this war yet.

**Moonlight Shadow by DJ Mystic**

(Sticky Situations Verse)

The Autobots crammed into the rec room. It was so packed that some of the larger mechs had offered their shoulders as seats for the minibots not only so they could see, but also so they weren't squished. In the front of the room, Sunstreaker and Mirage put aside their current general dislike of each other (Sideswipe stayed between them to be safe) to make sure they were both as close as possible. It had taken the med team decacycles to get her fully functioning again, and now she was back, she intended to give back to those who had saved her.

**Chase the Morning (From Repo! The Genetic Opera)**

(Sticky Situations Verse)

She watched her mother as she prepared to go out for the evening. She carefully polished her plates to make sure they shimmered and shone. The silver femme looked back at her and paused her movements. "You can do so much more than me. I can't escape this life, but you can. Promise me you will be better than a doll like me."

"I promise. I will." The glittering green femme vowed.

**Silver and Cold by AFI**

Sunstreaker stood in the wash racks and just let the water flow over him. He knew the steam hid him from the view of any other mechs in the room. He shut his audios and optics, not wanting to hear or see the blue mech on the far side of the room. He didn't want to feel the urge to go over to him and run his hands over those wings. Trace the seams in his perfect red faceplates. The temptation was quickly quelled when the memory files of how he found the said mech entwined with Ultra Magnus after returning from his last mission flooded his processor unbidden.

**Bravi! (from Repo! The Genetic Opera!)**

"I am going to kill you. I hope you realize that."

"Oh shut up Springer." Prowl snarled.

**Piano Man by Billy Joel**

Mixer stood behind the bar, wiping out an empty Energon cube and watched as the room filled up. He knew most of their stories as he willing offered for them to tell him.

The big black mech at the corner of bar had been in every night for the past decacycle. He spent the cycles trying to drown his memory files in the finest High Grade he could afford.

The blue femme at the table was waiting for her beloved to get off shift at the Academy as a trainer to join her. When he got there, she would give him a hard time, but it was her way of showing she'd missed him.

The black jet in the far corner kept staring at the door waiting for someone to come through them. Who ever he waited for never came. The flier kept to himself, and hadn't shared with the bartender who he waited for, and the tender didn't mind.

**Aerith's Theme (from Final Fantasy VII)**

He remembered the first time he saw her: her blue plating reflected the glittering lights of the city behind her, her optics taking in the perfection of a crystarose, and her hands, so delicate, tracing the petals of the blossom. Vorns later, she would swear the event never happened. She had her reputation to think of, after all. Ironhide would just smile and murmur agreeably with her while treasuring the image capture he had of her then safe in his processor. He never knew how he got so lucky, and intended to never push it to find out just how much luck he had.

**Rhythm Emotion by Two-Mix**

Midnight on a Monday nigh in the Ark: a large group of Autobots clustered around the television.

"Someone pass the Energon goodies!" Bumblebee requested and quickly received his desire.  
"All right, everyone ready? Everyone have everything they need? Good, cause its show time!" Jazz settled down in the sofa and turned up the volume.

The humans had some pretty interesting shows, but _Gundam Wing_ took the cake!

**Whole by The Dreaming**

Sunstreaker had been gone for far too long in his processor. The missions had come in back-to-back-to-back and he knew he needed to unwind. He had everything planned: get some Energon with Sideswipe, hit the wash racks, and stop in to see Tracks. He grinned to himself. Stop in nothing, he planned on interfacing the other mech senseless. Frag it, he decided, Sides could wait, he needed to see the blue mech first. When he got to the door, he quickly typed in the code and grinned as the door slid open. The grin faded when he realized Tracks wasn't alone.

**Forever Love (From "X-The Movie")**

Prowl sat staring at the monitor. He had gotten off duty three cycles before, but had stayed in the surveillance room because he had nothing else to do. Ultra Magnus currently served back on Cybertron and Ratchet was up to his elbows fixing Wheeljack (again).

"Hey Prowl! Shift's over man, go cut loose!" Jazz came in grinning.

The tactician barely glanced over his shoulder. "Logically, there is nothing for me to do."

The other black and white's grin somehow managed to get wider. "Prowler my man, you're coming with me. I am going to teach you how to make something to do in your spare time."

"I'll pass, thanks." Prowl hit a few keys to adjust the view on one of the cameras and noticed the Lambos getting far closer to the unsupervised lab than his battle computer deemed safe. "On second thought, how do you feel about getting two Lamborghinis into the brig?"

The espionage specialist's grin turned wicked. "Now you're talking!"

**Second song by Priss in Bubblegum Crisis 2040 (I can't read kanji!)**

They walked through the halls like they owned them. The Wreckers, along with the twins, made their way through the Hub towards the rec room with the intent of taking it over. Sunstreaker, with the help of Sideswipe and Sandstorm, had subspaced a vast amount of non-regulated High Grade with the plan to spike the dispensers. Why? Because everyone could use some loosening up and they were the mechs to do it. It was Sides' idea and the Wreckers as a whole thought it was brilliant and knew they would have to take advantage of the situation. If anyone asked, they planned on blaming the twins.


	7. Shuffle Seven

A/N: I missed a week, but for a very good reason! I went to a con, spent way to much money, had a blast, and had an infestation of Naruto plot bunnies bouncing around my brain. Sunstreaker (my muse) apparently hates ninjas with a passion and hid making the music challenge a no go. But I got the bunnies taken care of for the moment and Sunny agreed to cooperate for the moment. So, here ya go! Kudos and shout outs go to Master Okami for usual and Ironhide! -Squeeeeeeeee- thankyouthankyouthankyou! Sunstreaker and Jessie07, kudos for being completely awesome all the way around! Thanks ya'll! Enjoy!

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Writing: Put your entire music collection on shuffle, hit play, and write. Write for as long as each song plays and move on to a different writing when the song switches (even if it's mid-sentence). Go for ten songs (or five). If nothing comes, it still counts. If you're listening to a comedian, you can skip it.

**Snoopy vs. The Red Baron by the Royal Guardsmen**

Hotrod never wanted to be Prime. If anyone had asked him, he'd have told them his life goals included winning over Arcee, beating Blurr, and other trivial challenges. He never processed that one day HE would replace Optimus Prime. Not only replace the much beloved leader, but also wield the Matrix of Leadership and defeat Unicron as Rodimus Prime. He never wanted it, but he'd be fragged if he would give it up easy.

**Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry**

Prowl gave up.

It took a lot to get the second in command to admit defeat, it really did. With a sigh, he surrendered to the inevitable and let his battle computer crash. He had tolerated the ninja episode, the Speed Racer episode, and so many others. He just couldn't take this one. Jazz didn't seem to mind, but then, Jazz never minded when music blasted through the Ark.

On the one bright side, Prowl discovered something very valuable that day. Even as his computer crashed, the tactician realized that he really truly, without a doubt hated fragging human disco. Unfortunately, the twins had figured that out.

**Dead of Alive by Bon Jovi**

(By the Grace of Primus verse)

The night wind rushed past the open windows as Jack roared down the deserted road. The stars and half moon in the perfectly clear sky above lit the open road and bleached the wheat fields on either side pure white. In his back seat, Grace slept peacefully. The exiled Autobot didn't know if he could ever express to her how much gratitude he felt towards her. With a moments notice, she had willingly walked away from her life and family to go with him to source of Optimus Prime's signal. He couldn't help but process that the young human woman possessed more bravery than the entire Autobot army at its maximum strength.

**Wild Angels by Martina McBride**

Arcee smirked at Springer over the console that currently held the majority of her attention. He could only give her a stupid grin in response; he knew what that look meant. It meant she felt happy: happy with life, happy with him, and just generally in a positive mood. He grinned like a moron because he knew that if she felt this happy now, she would be ecstatically happy later. He could guarantee it.

**Silver Surfer Theme from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer**

It was hard not to feel the pride well up in your spark chamber when you saw Iacon for the first time. I dare any Cybertronian to even try to say anything to the contrary. There was a reason the place was the capital of the planet, and not just because it was on top of the world. That city could only be described as the crown jewel of the Cybertron. The amount of knowledge and power that flowed through that place like Energon through your veins could never be duplicated. Any attempts would only result in shallow imitations, blatantly fake next to the unparalleled wonder of the city.

**Castles in the Sky by DJ Satomi**

(Okamichan's Sticky Situations verse)

Stardust danced for the packed room with a certain kind of urgency and energy she never possessed in the Iacon Prestige. For the first time in her life, she danced simply as she wanted to, doing only what she felt the music instructed her to do. It felt wonderful. While the rest of Cybertron fell apart under the horrors of war, her life had finally started coming together. She only hoped she would be able to hold onto the freedom she finally grasped once the war ended. One way or another she would try.

**Slide by The Goo Goo Dolls**

Hound looked over at Bluestreak quietly recharging on the berth next to him. No would said the gray Datsun was a perfect mech, not by a long shot, but he possessed something special the tracker couldn't quite name. Something that got him seeing past the constant chattering and faults, but he just didn't know what. No, the gunner hadn't seen as many vorns as most of the Autobot army, but he had the spark for it. The green mech smiled softly and lay back down beside him.

**Naked Eye by Luscious Jackson**

Tracks always knew he belonged to a higher class, even if others didn't see it. Ultra Magnus treated him as an equal, something Sunstreaker never did. Would he have preferred to formally break things off with the melee fighter before hooking up with the commanding officer? Yes. But the yellow mech's missions had kept him away for cycles already. There would plenty of time to tell him when he got back. He almost felt guilty. Almost. He heard the rumors that his now former lover's twin's lover had run off with one of the femmes. Whenever the twins got back there would be the Pit to pay all the way around. As Tracks pinged Ultra Magnus' door, and got the door slid open, he found he didn't really care.

**The Gravel Road (from The Village)**

Arcee always felt her spark sink into her holding tanks whenever the comm came in that one of their teams had taken on fire. She always feared that one of them wouldn't come back to her. On top of the fear there was also the guilt. She had let them go, once again, without telling either one what she felt for them. She honestly didn't know how to go about it. That wasn't true and she knew it. Springer already knew, intimately, what she felt for him. Her feelings for the other were the problem. She knew Hot Rod wanted her. She had felt his optics on her every time she entered the same room. She wished he would stop beating around the asteroid and just say something.

**Give a Little Love by Shanadoo**

He hated sand. He really did. Beachcomber had insisted on taking their patrol down to the shore and he had grudgingly agreed. He wouldn't admit to anyone that maybe, just maybe, the delight in the blue and white mech's optics made every gritty, annoying grain of sand currently working its way into his gears and stripping his wires completely worth it.

"Isn't this great?" Beachcomber transmitted over the comm.

"Sure is." If such a small thing made the other mech so happy, who was he to complain?

**Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood**

Sideswipe grinned like a moron (which really wasn't a deviation from the normal) as he strode into the rec room. He glanced over at the mechs and femmes on one side of the room that he'd already hit, and then sent a sweeping look over the dwindling group that he hadn't yet gotten into his berth. He carefully evaluated each one without looking like he was doing just that, and finally picked his target. Filling two cubes of Energon, the mech sauntered over to the group and ever so subtly maneuvered the mech of his choice away from the crowd. He got him into the corner closest to the door (for a quiet exit) and offered the cube while starting to whisper softly. All he could think? "Frag, I'm good."

**Shed My Skin by Alter Bridge**

Sideswipe wished he could express his pain like his twin did. No thought it strange when the golden mech destroyed a beautiful painting in its final stages, or destroyed the table in their room, or beating a training drone into pieces. He felt like his twin had taken all the good anger vents and made them his own. If the red twin started doing any of those things, they'd tie him up and throw him at Ratchet for a processor diagnostic. Only in times like these did Sideswipe almost hated his twin. He wanted to destroy something, screaming his rage and feelings of betrayal, but he didn't. It just wasn't him. Instead, he just stared into the bottomless depths of his Energon cube and prayed to Primus that he never had to see Bumblebee with her.

**Kain's Theme (from The Legacy of Kain)**

Shockwave never perceived himself as a deity. He just happened to have the power to methodically and logically bring every power in the universe to its knees. Not even Megatron was safe from the plotting mind of Shockwave.

**Thinking Over By Dana Glover**

He had rendered her absolutely speechless.

She had managed to buy herself some time, and currently stared out a view port. She watched the stars fly past, searching for the answer within the bright lights. She never expected Hot Rod to ask her first. She had pegged Springer to ask her, he'd even subtly managed to find out if she would even agree. The pink and white femme rested her helm against the cold, smooth surface and cut her optics. She didn't want to have to choose between the two most important mechs in her life. She had an idea to get around that problem, but she didn't know if either one of them would go for it.

**Hit the Road Jack by Buster Poindexter**

"What did you do?" Bluestreak asked, his mouth gaping open.

"Shut it, Blue." Sunstreaker growled savagely. He glanced back at the gunner before resuming scrubbing his faceplates. Whoever the yellow mech had pissed off, they'd left a nasty streak of magenta across his face.

The Datsun tried to hide a grin as he realized exactly where he'd seen that particular shade of pink.


	8. Shuffle Eight

A/N: Hi everybody! I'm really sorry, but there's only 14 this week because I am just too tired to try to focus on one more. I'll make it up, I promise! As a note, I let something slip I didn't mean to in the last one, I hope when I get the story up here you will know what it was. I want to thank Katanagirl16 and TammyCat for the fav, CasoraTigerKin and hecate-19 for putting the Playlist on their alerts, you all rock! Sunstreaker, thank you so much for the fav, alert and review! Master Okami as always for being Master Okami! And Jessie07 for still reading! -hugs all around- I'm sorry if these aren't quite up to snuff, it's been a rough week and tomorrow's going to be even worse. And a note: for the last song in last weeks: think higher ranking pink.

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Writing: Put your entire music collection on shuffle, hit play, and write. Write for as long as each song plays and move on to a different writing when the song switches (even if it's mid-sentence). Go for ten songs (or five). If nothing comes, it still counts. If you're listening to a comedian, you can skip it.

**All the Small Things by Blink-182**

No one had seen it coming. Sideswipe and Bumblebee, somehow it just didn't seem possible. Even Sunstreaker had been at a loss for words when he found out. (Some of the crew had foreseen a squished minibot, but somehow the little yellow mech remained in one piece.) No one could deny that any room the two were in some how became brighter and happier.

**What I've Done by Linkin Park**

Moonracer honestly hadn't known. She didn't find out until after Sideswipe returned from his missions that he'd had anything to do with the yellow bot she shared her berth with. She felt a stab of guilt in her spark as a thought crossed her processor: even if she had known about the red twin, she didn't think it would have stopped her from following Bumblebee back to his quarters that night. She knew that she would see the betrayal and hatred in the twin's optics until the day she died.

**Cryptochid by Marilyn Manson**

Sunstreaker slowly looked up, his dim optics barely lighting the darkness that surrounded him like a thick fog. He could see them from his position, but they remained completely oblivious.

He felt like ripping something apart with his bare hands.

Preferably something that would scream while he did the said ripping.

He snorted in his processor. The idiots in the Ark thought they'd seen the worst of his anger.

They hadn't seen anything yet.

**Come on, Come In by Velvet Revolver**

The Wreckers (minus Springer who ever one knew was currently keeping Arcee company) managed to take up an entire side of the common room and they weren't in the most sociable moods. Even Scoop radiated sullen unhappiness, but no one on the Ark could figure out why.

Finally, Bluestreak got shoved out of the tight crowd on the far side of the room. He kept glancing back as he tried to make his approach casual without much success.

**Mitternacht by E Nomine**

Ravage led the way through the dark halls of the Nemesis on silent paws. Soundwave followed, Laserbeak perched perfectly on the communication officer's shoulder. The other Decepticons tried to ignore the deathly quiet precession, but still managed to clear the way for Megatron's favorites. Starscream sneered as the blue mech passed, but it quickly died at the panther's savage growl. Even though he was one of the smallest mechs, he remained formidable.

**Drain by X-Japan**

Springer stared at Prowl.

Prowl stared at Springer.

Arcee sighed, buried her optics in her hand, and turned to try to start a conversation with Firestar without much success.

"What did you say?" Prowl's vocalizer remained coldly precise.

"I said you didn't have the ball bearings to do what needs to be done. Going to make something of it?" It normally took a lot more to make the green mech to loose his temper, but the tactician seemed to bring out the best in him.

**My Only Love (from Sailor Moon)**

She couldn't say anything. Her vocalizer just won't work. She had learned to expect a lot of things from Ironhide, but not this.

"Bond with me, Chromia."

The blue femme could only let him engulf her in his powerful arms. Somehow, he knew her answer without her needing to speak.

**Candyman by Aqua**

The party had to rank up there as one of the best ones the Ark had ever seen. Having the femme unit back on the ship, all the ranking officers noticeably absent, Jazz left in charge (mention party to him and the officer in him vanished), and enough High Grade to sink Broadside meant a few things. One, someone had some serious explaining in the forecast. Two, a lot of mechs were getting interfaced.

**Epilogue (from Halo 2)**

Optimus watched Elita One across the command center, completely focused on her work. He didn't dare disturb her, she had a way of shutting out the world when she had a problem that required her individual attention. He had his own duties to attend to, but for the moment, he stood there. They had sacrificed so much of themselves, but it was the choice they made and had to live with.

**Concept of Love (from Jet Set Radio Future)**

Pedestrians cleared the road as the two Lamborghinis tore down the street. Their engines roared with power, speed, and confidence.

"It's too bad, Sides, you don't have the good looks or the speed to fall back on."

"Yeah, yeah, Primus was cruel when he split our spark. Stuff it up your tailpipe." Sideswipe growled, swerving into his brother to avoid an old lady too old to move out of their way fast enough.

"Watch the paint, you fragging aft!" Sunstreaker yelled.

**Driven Under by Seether**

Sideswipe looked over at Bluestreak recharging and tried to fit the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him. The young gunner didn't deserve to be used like this. He had to know, the mech could be pretty dense, but-

He had to know that the one Sideswipe really wanted looked just like him, but was nothing like him.

**Bitch by Meredith Brooks**

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe and didn't have to say anything. The red twin slung an arm over his brother's shoulder and just sat with him. He knew Sunny, and he knew the one thing the yellow mech needed was just someone who understood. Unfortunately, more often then not, the only mech who didn't run at the first sign the former artist was on an emotional warpath was Sides. Sideswipe knew that after all the furniture, training drones, and masterpieces were destroyed; his twin just wanted someone to sit with him to let him feel that he wasn't alone.

**Ripples in the Pool (from Lady in the Water)**

The waves broke rhythmically on the shore, mere inches from Hound's feet. He watched each wave in wonder and amazement. He had never seen anything like the waves the Earth produced. Each one remained perfect.

**The Hell Song by Sum 41**

"Let's Wreck and Rule!" Springer yelled, slamming a power cell home into the handheld cannon in his grip. The Wreckers charged the battlefield, instantly turning the tide of the fight back into the favor of the Autobots. They ran across the smoking and barren land, smashing fallen Decepticons under their peds as they kept on going. Finally coming into range of the enemy, the team opened fire as one, Springer didn't have to even order it.


	9. Shuffle Nine

Hey everybody! Hope you are all doing well. Somehow I got this done this week. How, I really don't know at the moment. Pretty much my life has gone to Valhalla, but we maybe on the upswing now. The short list? Screwed up cell phone, iPod, flat tire, mother calling me fat, screaming at me randomly, brother and his wife splitting, and on top of everything else, my uncle died. Whew. Sorry to ramble, but its been one slag of a week. So, my humble thanks goes out to you all for still reading! I really appreciate everything and I hope you enjoy this batch. Kudos go out to dandyparakeet for adding the shuffle to your alerts!

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Writing: Put your entire music collection on shuffle, hit play, and write. Write for as long as each song plays and move on to a different writing when the song switches (even if it's mid-sentence). Go for ten songs (or five). If nothing comes, it still counts. If you're listening to a comedian, you can skip it.

**It's Raining Men by the Weather Girls**

She would be the first to admit that being one of the very few femmes in active duty had severe disadvantages. Then again, she would also be the first to state it did have its advantages. Arcee couldn't help but smile to herself as she walked through the Hub and felt every single pair of optics on her chassis. With just a look she could have any mech on the station, and that knowledge would make anyone feel confident in themselves.

**Disposable Sunshine by Loser**

Some of the other Autobots openly agreed that the Twins had their faults and flaws as soldiers, but after arriving on Earth, Sideswipe thought they could all really shut up. He and his brother were young for their race. Not as young as Bluestreak, but in human terms, they were teenagers. Compared to the humans of the same 'age' he processed they handled everything thrown at them rather well.

**Little Wonders by Rob Thomas**

Sideswipe looked around his quarters and let his shoulder struts slump. The place looked like the Cassettes had thrown a party in the small space and decided to make confetti out of Sunny's latest painting. He really didn't have anything else to do but clean up the mess. Bumblebee, last check, was currently hanging in the rec room with Moonracer, Sunstreaker had gone out on patrol (finally) and everyone else just didn't know how to handle the situation.

**In the End by Linkin Park**

"Sunstreaker!" Tracks sounded surprised. Not guilty, just surprised. Somehow his over clocked processor logged that little note. He didn't even know what he considered worse: the fact that he had just caught Tracks, his lover, tangled with Ultra Magnus; that Ultra Magnus, an officer, was tangled with Tracks; or that he just quietly closed the door and walked away without a word.

**The Dream by Birthday Massacre**

Springer knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't help himself. The young officer didn't really consider himself that shallow (at least, no more than any mech in his prime) but he'd never seen anything so…amazing! Her petal pink plates shone in the dim light of the firing range. Her laughter could compare to the sound of a sparrowcorder, and her smile as she chatted with Chromia. The two femmes were so caught up in exchanging stories that neither had noticed him.

**It's Been A While by Staind**

Mirage kept to his usual dark corner of the rec room and nursed his cube. He didn't belong in this place. He didn't belong with these mechs and femmes. He hated the fact that every time he on lined he had to face the idea that he might never see Cybertron again. He really wanted to feel like he belonged, but the others just didn't understand the magnitude of what he had lost. He no longer felt he could explain to any of them that he hadn't just lost his wealth, prestige and influence, he had lost everything that made him who he was. He acknowledged the others had lost, but he had lost more.

**Night Surgeon from Repo! The Genetic Opera**

Bumblebee hid it behind his disarming smile, like all of his emotions. He felt horrible for what had happened. He never meant for Sideswipe to find out.

**Tomorrow from Full Metal Panic**

When the nights were nice and warm Jazz or Blaster often moved their parties outside of the Ark and into the heart of the desert. There they could crank up the volume and turn on the strobe lights. They were shadows of the parties the two mechs had once thrown in Kaon, but away from everything except the star filled sky above them, they could imagine. As the war waged on, the chance to imagine actually being home became the greatest gift and morale booster the officers could provide. Even Optimus Prime would come to them. He never joined the festivities, but he'd over look them and behind his mask, the leader smiled.

**O Come O Come Emanuel by The Riga Boys' Choir**

He would actually admit watching her dance now, but then he couldn't really deny it anymore. Someone had found her a room to practice her dancing so she would have something to do during the cycles. Sunstreaker often had to bully his way into a good spot to watch the lithe dancer.

**Dr. Wily's Castle Stage by Piano Squall**

The halls of the Nemesis echoed every sound back through their twisting passages. It took exceptional skill to maneuver through said halls unnoticed. Ravage possessed those skills.

**What do you Do With A B.A. in English? From Avenue Q**

Mixer found himself surrounded with some of the same Cybertronians with the same problems he had dealt with back in his Energon Bar. He couldn't help but smile as he looked around the Hub's 'rec room' (he knew slagging well the room served as the station's bar) and recognized some of the patrons along with some new faces.

They didn't look identical, but he knew the Twins on sight from the stories. They were trying to spike the Energon dispensers and failing miserably.

The big red mech who had served as a training instructor back in the day now sat in the corner waiting for someone who never came. For a moment the older mech found he wondered about the black flier that had waited every night.

**What It's Like by Everlast**

Sunstreaker wanted to kill something.

He hated the fact that they thought he couldn't hear them. That he couldn't hear them speculate on his sanity, his dependability, and general attitude. The comments that made him want to commit homicide were the remarks that nobody blamed Tracks or Ultra Magnus or even Bumblebee. The Twins deserved what they got, after all, you got back what you gave.

Hence, his urge to kill something.

The training drone really didn't make him feel any better, nor had it relieved any of the tension. He had never prayed for a Decepticon attack before as he had that night. He wanted death and he wanted it at his own hands.

**Good-bye by Gravity Kills**

The Decepticons didn't know what had gotten into the Lambo Twins and hoped to Primus it never happened again. Skywarp held a hand over one side of his face to keep his optic where it belonged. Thundercracker had lubricants dripping from more places then he could count. Neither one of the Seekers even wanted to think about Starscream's current condition. At least the two of them could walk on their on power. The Seekers were use to Jet Judo, but that had been one Pit of a round.

**Second to None by Styles of Beyond**

Everyone knew when the Wreckers arrived on Hub. To be honest, it was rather hard not to notice when they showed up. The special team strode through the halls like they owned them, making some of the mechs bristle and most of the officers groan. Somehow, something would happen that would result in a mountain of datapads on someone's desk. Every single officer could only hope it wasn't theirs.

**Generique by Wojciech Kilar**

The pools and fountains of the water garden reflected the lights of Iacon in a stunning display of sparkling lights that could out shine some of the most brilliant constellations in the galaxy. He would know after all, he had already seen a good portion of the universe.


	10. Shuffle Ten

A/N: Wow it's been a while hasn't it? RL and a general lack of inspiration shelved this for the past months. Due to time restraints there are only 7 songs here this time. I may finish it this week, I might not. I don't think this is going to be weekly again, but we'll see how it goes! Enjoy! And as ever, my eternal gratitude to everyone who has read this, reviewed, faved and added to their alerts. Thank you!

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**Birthday- The Cruxshadows**

The war wouldn't last forever, and despite how long they continued to fight, he truly believed it. He had fought, in one sense or another, everyday since he had come online. No, he did not want to continue fighting, but he had to. The younger warriors might have thought he had passed his peak vorns before, but every time he hauled their afts out of the proverbial fire, they learned that he had a long way to go before he would stop. He checked his cannons one more time more out of habit than necessity and stepped out of his quarters. The war waited for no one, but he'd be slagged if he let it pass by without him. Ironhide swore to himself that he would never give.

**Kiri – Monoral**

Springer stared at the monitor in front of him, but his processor couldn't focus on anything in the room. He knew that the others appreciated the Wreckers and what they did, but no seemed to care what happened to them once the winner of a battle was declared. The whole team seemed to vanish from the processors of the rest of the army until the situation called for them to show up and save the day. At times like these the triplechanger wondered what would happed once the war ended.

**Supermassive Black Hole - Muse**

Sideswipe smirked and cracked the joints in his fingers as he took stock of the battlefield. "Ready bro?"

Sunstreaker just rolled his optics and did a last check on his armour. "I'm always ready."

"Yeah right, if that were true, we'd already be down there." The red twin tapped his shoulder-mounted cannon for good luck and rolled his arms in their sockets.

"Just go." Prowl snarled from behind them. He had yet to forgive them for the whole battle computer crash.

**Kryptonite- 3 Doors Down**

They think I don't hear what they say about me. Fools. I hear everything, especially when it's about me. The others don't hesitate to pass judgment on me but they don't hesitate to come running to me and Sides whenever the slag hits the fan. They don't understand that we don't need them. We are in this war because it, for the moment, serves our purpose. As soon as it's no longer beneficial, we're gone.

**Hard Rock Hallelujah – Lordi**

The Decepticon army might not have the greatest leader, most of the soldiers would admit that in quiet whispers, but they owned the skies. The Autobots tried to compensate with the likes of the Aerialbots and the Triplechangers, but they didn't have a snowball's chance against the Seekers. Even though they all had their issues, the Trine knew what they were good at and would make sure everyone else did as well. If they ever could make up an entire army of just Seekers, they would rule the universe.

**You're Gonna Go Far Kid – The Offspring**

The Wreckers settled down into the trenches for the recharge cycle. The day's fight had proven to follow every other one they had ever fought. Like always, some had died, but the team had lived to fight another day, just like they always did. They didn't fight for revenge in battles like these unless they had actually known some one personally. They had all found out over the vorns that revenge didn't help make them fight better. If they stopped to think about how many needed vengeance, the number would just slow them down.

**Pretty Girls – Simon and Milo**

Bluestreaker felt…lost. Yes, lost, that seemed an appropriate term for the situation. He knew Prowl had reasons for assigning the young gunner to the twins, but didn't think this qualified as one of those. Sideswipe had somehow gotten the two of them on the femme unit base and into one of their parties. Once they had arrived, the red Lambo had begun working his charm on the crowd. He had also left with a smile and a wink with some femme under his arm. The Datsun remained alone in a room with a large group of over-energized femmes and no clue what to do next.


	11. Shuffle Eleven

I have returned again! I wanted to get this to 15, but after a week of no progress, I decided to go ahead and put this up. Thanks goes out again to everyone who has read, faved, and alerted this story! You all rock socks!!!

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**Right Round - Flo Rida**

Even with the war in their past, a little bit of rivalry remained between the former Autobots and Decepticons. The Cybertronian club's foundation shook on the nights when Blaster and Soundwave battled it out with music. The cassettes mingled with the other patrons and took turns helping their respective master mech whenever he needed them. Night after night, challenge after challenge, a clear winner never emerged.

**Careless Whisper - Seether**

Trailbreaker watched Sandstorm across the rec room flirting in his own shameless way with the naïve Fire Flight. He had lost count the number of cycles that had past since the triplechanger had used those skills on him, but it still hurt to watch. He had loved the black and orange mech, no doubt about it, but things had happened. Unmeant words had flown from vocalizers, making aloud the dark thoughts that poisoned processors, and nothing could change that. The big black mech made his way out of the room to face another night of memories in the face of the present alone.

**New Divide - Linkin Park**

He remembered the very cycle the war started and remembered not caring in the slightest. He had no reason to pay attention to the petty uprising in the worst parts of Cybertron. A flier in his prime, the black and purple mech needed nothing to complete his existence. When the Towers fell, he had paid some mind, but in the grand scheme of things the tragic event didn't affect him any more than any other aspect of the war. However, when his home had vanished into the dust of destruction and too many of his friends had either died or run off to fight, he knew his time of not caring had ended. Skywarp went to the Decepticons for one reason: all the other fliers were already there and with them the faction could not fail.

**Better Than Me - Hinder**

Sandstorm managed to keep flirting with Fire Flight as he watched Trailbreaker leave the rec room. Primus, it still hurt. He still loved the jokester, despite everything that had happened between them. The vorns apart had dulled the pain of their breakup, but as soon as one red visor had met the other it came back. The triplechanger didn't process being dropped in the Pit would hurt as much as seeing the black mech. In that moment, Sandstorm felt more grateful for his battle mask and visor then ever before. The Aerialbot in front of him couldn't see him set his mouth and dim his optics just enough to regain control of himself. He wanted nothing more then to go after Trailbreaker, but knew his time to do that had long since past.

**4ever - The Veronicas (Sticky Verse)**

Arcee surveyed the room before her and smiled triumphantly. She knew her comrades back at the femme base thought of her, and knew it all stemmed from pure jealousy. The pink femme knew she had drawn the best possible lot in the entire army. She looked from one hopeful mech to the next; debating what kind of fun she wanted to have for the night. Each mech in the army had individual ideas of pleasure and she knew that in the case of some of them, their comrades would die of shock if they knew what happened behind closed doors. The lone femme's gaze rested on Mirage and her smile turned cunning. Oh yes, she knew what she wanted for the night. The Towerling never ceased to surprise her with exactly how much he knew about stasis cuffs and what to do with them.

**Burn It To the Ground – Nickleback (TFA x IDW)**

The Decepticon femmes often got overlooked, especially since most of them had vanished when the war consumed Cybertron, but those that knew of them knew they could hand anything that processed their own aft. The femme Seeker that appeared out of the wormhole didn't look like she would disappoint. Skywarp had taken one look at her, looked back at Thundercracker, and then proceeded to flatten StarScream to get to her. She embodied perfection to the black and purple flier from her smooth lines to her sharp glossa. One way or another he would make SlipStream his own, whether she admitted she wanted him or not.

**I'm a Gummy Bear – Gummibar**

Prowl gave the smallest of the Wreckers his most intimidating glare, and Scoop wisely looked nervous. When he finally spoke, the tactician's words remained perfectly calm, but carried more threat than Kup's yelling. "I will say this once and only once. I've already had to remind Bluestreak that following the Twin's more degenerate example is not a wise decision. If you decide to follow Bluestreak's path, you WILL regret it, Scoop. I can promise you that." The black and white mech stared into the Wrecker's optics for a long beat as if ensuring the message had made the proper connections. Without so much as a nod, Prowl marched down the hall back to the command center to undo the sabotage to Teletran I that had it blasting annoyingly cheerful and catchy music through the entire Ark.


	12. Shuffle Twelve

A/N: Could it be? I actually make a post of this and it hasn't been three months? Whoa!! And there are actually 10 here! Quick little confession time: I have thrown the original rules of this challenge out the window (they were more like guidelines anyway). While I still keep things on shuffle, I will keep skipping tracks until I find something that makes someone scream "That's me! Write!" I will also put the song on repeat until the idea spins itself out. I hope this will be better in the long run of actual writing instead "throw something out there and hope it fits". Thanks go out to thundercracker76, greengirl011, and Pookinator for adding this (or me) to you're alerts, you all are awesome! If you have added this to your alerts and I didn't mention you I am so, so sorry. Some of my e-mails have exited stage left from my inbox and I have no idea how to find out who has alerted a story on here. I really appreciate it even if I am terrible and didn't save your name. Thanks goes out to Starfire201 for the review! I actually didn't know 'Burn it to the Ground' was on the soundtrack. Pure coincidence! Thanks as always to Master Okami for being Master Okami (and finding me Swindle!)

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**Until the Day I Die – Story of the Year**

"I promised you we would always be together." Trailbreaker whispered quietly to the triplechanger beside him at the bar.

"We both made a lot of promises that got broken." Sandstorm murmured, not unkindly. "Things changed between us."

"Did they?" Even though his tone became demanding, the black mech never raised his voice.

The triplechanger gave his companion a long gaze, knowing the vorns together let the other look past the red visor as if it didn't exist. "Yes, Trailbreaker, they did. But one thing never changed-"

"Hey Sandy! Smokey's setting up poker, you in?" Scoop yelled across the rec room.

"I'm in!" He turned to leave, but paused to look back at Trailbreaker.

The defense strategist just looked at him. "That changed too, Sandstorm."

"Yeah, it did." The orange mech placed a hand on the other mech's shoulder strut and walked away, picking up speed as he went.

**Don't You (Forget About Me) – New Found Glory**

Skywarp's face broke into an evil grin when his optics caught sight of a very familiar paint job. One he hadn't seen since…forever! Making good use of his warping ability, the Seeker appeared directly behind the mech in question and leaned in close enough to be heard over the din of battle. "Do you still scream me name?"

Before the mech could turn and fire, the black and purple jet had teleported away, his laughter the only evidence of his close proximity.

If he had stuck around any longer, the Seeker would have heard a quiet and embarrassed "Yes." Not even war or factions could erase some aspects of the past.

**Don't Trust Me – 3Oh!3**

The Energon bars on Cybertron often hosted packs of femmes with one thing on their collective processors. Every group had the same unspoken rules: don't be the last one to leave the bar and definitely don't leave alone.

Fire Star didn't know quite how she had gotten mixed up with the other femmes, but she had traveled with them long enough to know the rules. The only thing that scared her was how much she enjoyed it.

The bar couldn't hold another Cybertronian, the best kind of night. The femmes exchanged looks and split up, each going for their 'type.'

The lithe red femme went straight for the cluster of enforcers in the back of the room. One mech had eluded her for long enough. The black and white mech would go home with her tonight or no one. She'd make sure of it.

**Keep Your Hands Off My Girl – Good Charlotte**

He knew every mech in the bar noticed her they had too. Even if femmes didn't 'spark their circuits' so to say, they couldn't help but notice the beautiful blue femme as she made her way through the bar.

He knew she could handle herself in the crowd, but he still watched and waited. The first mech to try and even cycle his intakes near her wouldn't even what'd hit him.

Some young flier stepped into her path, two cubes of high grade in hand. Chromia gave him an annoyed look and tried to move around him. He moved into her path again, and that was the last thing Ironhide remembered before he tore through the crowd and jumped the much smaller mech.

**Behind Blue Eyes – Limp Bizkit**

Sideswipe sat on his berth and silently watched Sunstreaker fall apart. The golden mech dealt with so much: an emotion al storm that never ended and had no eye to offer relief. The sociopathic aspects of his spark might worry the rest of the Autobots and even Decepticons but it had to be worse for the one living with it everyday.

The red twin knew he could do nothing to help his brother's tortured spark. He could only wait and offer silent comfort at times like these.

All their years of pain and suffering together had left Sunstreaker worse for wear. Unfortunately, only Sideswipe seemed to realize the outwardly projected violence and anger served only as a smokescreen for the internal damage.

Sometimes though, even the cheerful twin didn't know what happened behind his brother's intense optics. There were some things Sunstreaker kept even from the mech that understood him, and that scared Sideswipe more than the entire Decepticon army.

**Rooftops – Lostprophets**

Thundercracker looked out over the battlefield and paused. He didn't know why he kept fighting for the Decepticons, but the thought of leaving his trine mates behind terrified him. He fought because he followed orders, but he wanted more.

"TC! Come on man, let 'er rip!" Skywarp yelled as he teleported past, aiming for the Lambo twins.

Steeling his resolve, the blue Seeker released a sonic boom that flattened everyone caught unawares. Hidden in the audio shattering sound, he screamed.

He didn't want this. He just wanted to go back to Cybertron and live out his quiet life. No war, no orders, no Decepticons or Autobots. Just spending free time with 'Warp and Screamer, like they used to.

Across the field of quickly recovering warriors, Skywarp met the others ruby optics and the evil glitter left for a moment. He knew what Thundercracker thought of the war, but had no idea how to help him.

**Sideways – Dierks Bentley**

Ratchet sipped his cube of high grade and let a grin devour his faceplates.

"Where do find these places, Ratch?" the blue and red mech beside him asked in awe as two stunning beautiful femmes went past.

"You think I take you every where? I've checked out every bar on this side of Iacon." The white medical student waved to the bar tender to refill their cubes.

"You slagger! You told me you were catching up on assignments!" The larger of the two mechs leaned back in his seat to try and locate the femmes that had gone by.

"I'm a medic! Studying femme anatomy is an assignment. They went up to the second level, and you don't have a chance with either one." Ratchet turned to check out the rest of the bar. "Seven o'clock coming up hot. Frag it, never mind, Chromia's in that group."

"Promise me something." The high grade clearly had taken a hold of the other mech, "When we get out of the Academy, we have to keep doing this."

"No problem Optimus, I don't plan on ever giving this up!"

**If You Could Only See – Tonic**

"Why did you do it, Optimus? You're way too young to get bonded!" Ratchet didn't even look up from the stack of datapads on his desk as he continued his tirade. "There are more femmes out there! How could you decide this is one for you forever?"

The big mech let his friend carry on his verbal abuse. He knew only the fear of loosing a friend and drinking buddy fueled him. Ratchet hadn't met her yet and even when he did, Optimus doubted the white mech would really understand.

Elita One had appeared out of nowhere. Just one look made him want to talk to her. One quiet evening together made him desire her. One night with her had made him realize she embodied everything he could ever want from a bondmate. Her beauty, strength, courage, and love of life were beyond compare.

"I love her Ratch." The blue and red mech interrupted quietly.

His words stopped the medic's rant. The white mech finally let the briefest smile cross his faceplates. "I guess that's gonna have to be a good enough reason."

**Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood**

"Ready bro?" Sideswipe asked, cracking his knuckles.

The yellow twin just slid his brother a cold look. "I'm always ready."

"Good, I think it's about time we exercised some coping therapy." The red mech opened the door and waited for his other half to go through.

"Whatever." Sunstreaker snarled, and stormed in the direction of Track's quarters.

Sideswipe sauntered off towards Bumblebee's room as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Some time had past since the Lambo twins had returned from a mission to find their respective lovers in someone else's berth. Everyone on base, including the mechs in question, thought the storm had past and everything that could happen had already come to pass.

They didn't have a clue.

The red twin keyed in the entry code to the small yellow mech's quarters and grinned as the door slid open. On another hallway, Sunstreaker would be doing the same, minus the grin. After they got finished, no one would forget what happened when the twins got backstabbed.

Tracks and Bumblebee would return from their dates to find their rooms trashed, vandalized and with no doubt of their scorned lover's responsibility.

**Be Like That – 3 Doors Down**

"Hey Blue, if you could have anything in the universe, what would it be?" Scoop asked, glancing over at the gunner.

The two young mechs had gotten slapped with monitor duty after a collaborative effort to paint Prowl red had gone south. The plan had failed miserably to say the least. Sunstreaker had triggered the trap and proceeded to try and maim them. In the end they'd turned themselves in to the very mech they had tried to prank for safety.

"Hear me Blue?" the Wrecker asked again, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, I heard you." Bluestreak paused. "I really don't know." He lied.

"Seriously?"

The gunner stared at his monitor. "Yeah."

In truth, he knew exactly what he wanted: he wanted to have Prowl's intelligence, Sideswipe's humor, Ironhide's courage, Tracks' confidence, Ratchet's conviction, Mirage's aim, the list went on and on.

Scoop looked at his friend with concern. The question should have had Bluestreak rambling, not stuck in solemn silence. "Blue?"

The gray mech broke out in an embarrassed laugh. "I'm okay. Just go lost in thought. Didja hear about what Mirage did last night with Hound? I tell ya, it was crazy! I heard from…"


	13. Shuffle Thirteen

A/N: Sorry I missed a week, I'm heading to Baltimore next weekend and I'm trying to get everything together. And sheer distraction throughout the week (and my horse stepping on my foot) are also part of the reason there are only 6. I thought about waiting, but I did that last week (when I only had two) and here we are. Kudos to Starfire201 and Thundercracker! Thanks for the review and the fav!!!! Thanks to Master Okami for all the help with these! They don't normally get beta-ed and I really appreciate it! Hope you like the MovieVerse Sides and Hide!

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**The Dolphin's Cry – Lifehouse **

The vorns since Thundercracker left for the Autobots had felt like an eternity. The trine broken, Starscream had devoted more time harassing Megatron and less time flying. For Skywarp, his bullying got worse.

The black and purple Seeker had taken his trine brother's departure as a personal betrayal. Not knowing how to handle the loss, his usual pranks turned more destructive and violent. The cassettes took the brunt of the abuse until Soundwave intervened. The teleporter turned on the Constructicons first, then the Stunticons, becoming more self-destructive as time progressed.

Whispers started spreading through the Nemesis that they would find Skywarp extinguished in some hallway by the hand of another Decepticon if something didn't happen soon.

The war ending hadn't exactly been what they meant, but it worked. Starscream, rather humbled by the Decepticon defeat, had dragged Skywarp out of their ship by force and threw him into the truce party.

After all the time of separation, it didn't take long for the trine to reunite. The evil glitter came back to the black and purple mech's optics as soon as he saw the blue wings of the one who had left. In a flash of light and ozone, Skywarp teleported to Thundercracker, grabbed him, and warped out of the room.

Starscream smirked and went back across the room to find Jetfire. He'd catch up with them later. At the moment, he knew 'Warp needed to catch up with his TC.

**See You Again – Miley Cyrus**

"So, what's his name?" Chromia asked, trying to sound casual.

Elita One smirked wickedly. "Why Chromia, did a mech actually catch your attention?"

The blue femme slid her best friend a dark look. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this. I just asked what his name was."

"After that incident at Mixer's, I have to make a big deal out of it." Elita steered her companion down a side hallway of the Academy to prolong their journey and conversation.

Chromia let a growl escape her vocalizer. "I swear to Primus, you're going to pay for this. I'm warning you…"

The magenta femme simply laughed. "Or what?"

"His name, Elita. Give me his name." Chromia honestly felt on the brink of strangling her friend.

"Alright, alright," Elita One relented, "His name is Ironhide."

"Thank you," Chromia hissed.

The magenta femme laughed again. "He's single, in training hall Beta and you're welcome."

**Gone Away – The Offspring**

(Based on Okamichan's awesome StarCrossed, with apologies.)

For once and maybe the first time in their shared existence, Sunstreaker watched over his brother as he fell apart. During the height of battle, there hadn't been time to speculate the fate of those on the shuttle hijacked by the Decepticons.

Now, the battle for Autobot City had ended, Optimus Prime's fate loomed like a sword waiting to fall, and the weight of the dead had fully rested on the living.

Wheeljack, Ratchet, Ironhide . . . Prowl. The last had the powerful red Lambo warrior curled up in a dark corner of a storage room.

Sunstreaker didn't know what to do to ease the torment his twin felt. So he waited for some sign that would let him know what to do.

Long minutes stretched on. Finally, he risked breaking the silence. "Sides."

The red twin jerked his head up in surprise. The anguish that radiated from his optics made Sunstreaker hesitate for a moment. It passed and the golden Lambo approached his other half and curled around him.

He couldn't protect his brother from the pain but he would do his damnedest to heal him.

**What It's Like – Everlast**

We're called the 'bad guys', but what did we do to make us 'bad'? Megatron saw the corruption of the Towerlings like we all did, but he actually did something about it. Yes, mechs, femmes and sparklings were extinguished when he destroyed the Towers, but it got the ball rolling.

Do I like all the pain and anguish we cause? Of course I don't. I'm not some glitched up monster for frag's sake. I just want the corruption to stop. No one should have to live through what we did because some elitist who got lucky doesn't want to see the problems of our world.

But now I'm trapped. Megatron's vision, once clear and pure, has become just as corrupt as those who we wanted to remove from power and I wonder why. I also wonder how I'm going to get out of here with my head still attached to my body.

I'm not a bad guy; I'm just stuck on their side and have to go through the motions to stay alive. For now I have to live with my choices, but maybe someday I'll get out and live the life I want.

**What is Love – Haddaway**

(Movie-verse as requested by Okamichan)

Sideswipe grinned as he diced up the last drone on the training course. "Damn I'm good!"

"Maybe you are, but I'm better." Came a growl from behind the silver mech.

He spun on his wheels to find Ironhide with a ready smirk. "Oh yeah?" he challenged.

"Yeah," The weapons specialist backed Sideswipe towards the nearest wall. "My cannons alone make me better."

The saber wielder snorted and threw his arm down between them, releasing the razor sharp blade kept there. "My blades could cut your slagging cannons in two before you could even process I'd done it."

"Big talk from a little mech." Ironhide baited, a smirk slowly crossing his faceplates.

The fighter grinned and sheathed the blade as quickly as he had unleashed it. "Wanna do something about it, old timer?"

With vorns of battle experience on his side, the warrior threw Sideswipe against the wall and grinned triumphantly at the resulting groan. "With pleasure, punk."

**The Kids Aren't Alright – The Offspring**

Ratchet looked out over the filled med bay and found himself suddenly lost in his processor.

Each and every one of them had once had a different life, he knew. As he let his optics scan over each berth, he couldn't help but recall what he'd read in each injurer fighter's file.

Sideswipe had run a very productive trade operation. He had the ability to use his suave nature and smooth vocalizer to get anything he wanted for the price he wanted.

Sunstreaker's artwork had graced the most provincial buildings of Iacon and the medic knew a great number of them had been destroyed in the course of the war. The knowledge made his spark ache.

Bluestreak hadn't even had a chance to make a life for himself. Ratchet wondered what the sparkling had wanted for his life if the war hadn't so cruelly interrupted it.

The lone femme in the bay hurt the white mech almost as much as Bluestreak. Arcee had just started teaching the youngest of sparklings before that wing of the Academy had been destroyed with most of the eager young processors inside.

Now, they all fought and brushed death for a war they had no personal gain in. Ratchet only hoped he could keep them alive long enough to reclaim their lives.


	14. Shuffle Fourteen

A/N: Once upon a time, this was a weekly thing, but that feels like a very long time ago LOL. I have a very good reason (or two) for the four month absence. Conventions, cosplay, ninjas, pissed off muses, maintaining the upkeep of a farm by myself, sinus infection, flu, and overall lack of sleep. I also blame Okamichan and Vixen's Shadow for being a bad influence on me and dragging me out to have fun at least one day every other week. What would I do without you two? My thanks go out to Starfire201 and Tiamat for the reviews, deadleaves for the fav, Rob Lockster for the watch, and Regnasis for being a kiss aft (I'm allowed to call him that, I'm dating him) for the review and the fav. I apologize for there only being 9 in my triumphant return, but I just couldn't get the muse to cooperate for one more and it's already taken me a few weeks to get these up here. So please enjoy, thank you all for reading and sticking with me this far! I can't promise it won't be another long stretch with the holidays fast approaching, but I'll do my best! Take care of yourselves!

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**The City Is At War by Cobra Starship**

"The war is going to consume us."

Silence fell over the table of provincial Cybertronians before they all burst out laughing.

"Are you serious?" Zoomer scoffed as he poured himself high grade that cost more than some lower class mechs made in a solar cycle.

"The workers will battle it out, hopefully wiping themselves out, and things will be back to normal." Mirage chuckled as he helped himself to some of the glowing liquid.

The mechs and femmes all agreed, except the blue flyer who looked doubtful. The majority of the group didn't even acknowledge he existed as he had only recently joined their social circle.

Borealis, the mech who originally spoke, stared at them all with pity and contempt. "That attitude is exactly why they will destroy us."

The group ignored the green mech in favor of a conversation better suited to their refined tastes.

"Did you see the new gallery over on the North side? Some of his best work?"

"The Prestige has a new show opening in the next few cycles!"

Over the heads of their shallow companions, Borealis and Thundercracker met optics and silently agreed that the war would do horrible things to this group.

And the world would be all the better for it.

**I Don't Want to Be (A Superhero) by Roadrunner United**

Rodimus Prime took a long moment alone in his office to acknowledge the truth. The truth was that he had never wanted command, any of it.

Hot Rod had only gotten involved with the war for the femmes and the glory, two things he continued to wait for. So far, the only femme he'd laid optics on for the past stellar cycle had wound up with his best friend. As for the glory thing, well, the Matrix didn't exactly encourage it.

He wanted to go back to doing what he did best: bar hopping and . . .. He knew he had some skills but couldn't for the spark of him remember what. Rodimus still didn't believe he stood as the best choice for leading the Autobots. Optimus had given the Matrix to Ultra Magnus for a reason.

"Prime! We need you in the command center!" Red Alert's voice broke through the reluctant leader's silent musing session.

Inwardly groaning, Prime stood and made his way to the door, coming back: "I'm on my way!"

He didn't want this but fate had dealt him the datacards he could only assume were meant for him for a reason. Maybe someday he would discover why. Until then, he'd go through the motions and be the leader everyone expected him to be.

**Trouble by Vamps**

"We are slagged." Scoop observed with growing dread.

"Scoop, we are nothing of the sort." Whirl admonished.

"He's right!" Twin Twist agreed with passive observance.

"We're fragging slagged. There's a difference." Sandstorm offered.

The Wreckers has a reputation for causing . . . excitement in the Hub, but they were (normally) smart enough to leave some choice mechs and femmes out of anything the team schemed up.

Someone (probably Sandstorm) had processed it would be funny to booby trap Top Spin's supply closet. No one expected Ratchet to get there first for something he'd run out of. The white mech currently sported a neon purple, sticky neon purple paint job and knew exactly who had done it.

Hence why four of the Wreckers had jammed themselves into the most inaccessible storage compartment on _Xantium_. The collective hope had been that the medic wouldn't look for them on the ship while they were docked at the Hub.

They couldn't have been more wrong.

Even as they huddled in the dark, they could hear the ringing steps of one angry mech and to possibly make things even worse, _Xantium_ found the whole thing hilarious and kept giving ratchet hints as to what direction he should take.

"If he doesn't kill us, I'll be fragging amazed." Whirl whispered, picking up heavy footsteps coming closer.

"I think we can all agree on that." Twin Twist murmured as the storage compartment doors began to open thanks to their own ship.

**Young by Hollywood Undead**

Bluestreak sometimes wondered about what his life should have been like at the most inopportune moments. Like when a fragment grenade caused a rain of shrapnel less than two meters from his position.

"Blue! You alright?" Sideswipe must have seen the explosion from where he had taken shelter.

"I'm good!" Blue forced himself to cut his vocalizer. Prowl hadn't had to tell him to keep the line clear yet in this battle.

"Wreckers are here!" Scoop's voice came over the comm, bringing the young gunner's thoughts unbidden.

They were sparklings. Him, Scoop, Wheelie, even Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in reality weren't much older. What had brought them into this cruel existence of destruction and death? What about even younger sparklings still living on the husk of Cybertron? Would they be forced to fight as soon as they were big enough to hold a rifle?

Why them? Why couldn't the war have ended before they were deemed fighters?

Another grenade exploded, closer than the one before. "Blue get out of there!" The red Lambo's voice startled him.

Broadside showed up beside the Datsun. "Go! I'll cover you!"

As he ran to where Sideswipe hid, Bluestreak prayed to live long enough to claim his life back from the talons of war, if there was anything left to claim.

**Never Again by Nickleback **(Okamichan's Sticky verse)

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a typical night at Mixer's. The problem started, as usual, when Skywarp had one too many. His normal arrogant attitude got worse the more High Grade he consumed and on top of that, he often became violent. If always became a really bad night when he turned that violence on the femmes.

The flyer had cornered one of the waitresses in the back part of the bar. At first he only had the attitude, but when the femme tried to get away and he slammed her painfully back into the wall, he crossed the line.

Sideswipe had kept an optic on the situation from the table he shared with Smokescreen, Swindle, and Springer. Before the femme crumpled to floor, Sides had a hand on the black and purple mech's shoulder strut. "Back off 'Warp! It's time you carried your frame out!"

The flyer glared laser bolts at the red mech. "Why don't you make me, ground pounder?" He snarled savagely.

"With pleasure." Sideswipe growled, cracking the joints in his servos.

At the table, Smokescreen sighed and opened a comm channel to the one mech who could haul Skywarp out with minimal damage. "TC? Hey, it's Smokey. Are you in the middle of something?" a pause, "Good, 'cause we need you to take your roomy home again before Sides paints the walls with his pulverized processor."

**Crazy For This Girl by Evan and Jaron **(Movie verse)

Ironhide kept glancing at the lithe blue femme who had slipped into the back of the training hall. She hadn't tried to get his attention, but a femme like her had such a commanding presence even a mech in stasis would have to sit up and take notice.

He didn't know her personally, just that she spent her free time with Elita One and held onto the top rank in almost every combat challenge of all the femmes in the Academy. Not to mention she was courageous, brave, and more beautiful than anything the weapon's specialist had ever seen.

With a smirk, she vanished just before the class ended, preventing the mech from even getting her name. Determined to unravel at least one mystery, Ironhide marched out of the hall and straight to Prime's office.

Barely knocking, the burley mech let himself in, much to the exasperation of Optimus. "Can I assist you with something Ironhide?"

"As a matter of fact Prime, I need to know the name of that blue femme your femme is always handing around." The black mech settled in the chair across from Prime's crowded desk.

"One, Elita One is not 'my' femme. Two, the femme in question's name is Chromia. Three, she is very interested in you, according to Elita, and she spends her after hours in the firing range. So, unless there is anything else . . .." The red and blue mech returned his attention to the datapad he had been reading before his old friend had interrupted him.

Ironhide grinned. "That'll do Prime, that'll do."

Optimus rolled his optics ceiling-ward and offered a silent prayer to Primus that whatever was starting between the mech and femme wouldn't end up with his friend slaughtered.

**Into the Night by Santana and Chad Kroger** (Okamichan's Sticky Verse yet again)

Most mechs on Cybertron spent a lot of credits to get into the Iacon Prestige to see what they called the greatest dancers on the planet. Jazz humbly disagreed, and as he made his way through the Kaon dance club, he knew his opinion was sound.

The mechs and femmes that crowded the open floor moved in perfect time to the upbeat music that pounded through the place at an audio shattering level. Makes and models from all parts of Cybertron and all sorts of backgrounds filled the club either on the floor or, like Jazz, simply enjoyed the assault on their sensors from the sidelines.

The best part of the club, known as Lone Star by night, included the un-transmitted law of anonymity. The black and white mech would not normally allow himself to be seen in this particular part of the world. He recognized politicians' aides as well as a few dolls he had noticed before on the streets.

They came together for the love of music and dance, no matter their means or circumstances. As Jazz collected a cube of inexpensive high grade and took up position in a dark corner he wondered why the whole planet couldn't get along the same way.

**Shut Me Up by Mindless Self Indulgence**

Skywarp landed on the bulkhead of _Nemesis_ with spark shattering force. Dragging himself back up, he stared at the Stunticons with a broken grin. "Is that the best you sparklings can manage?"

Motor Master seethed. "You are going to regret the cycle you were sparked."

Outnumbered and overpowered, the flyer kept fighting the other Decepticons. He could have teleported away at any time from the situation at any point, but he refused to run away from a fight he had started.

He spat some fluid into Dragstip's faceplates and got a cracked optic for his efforts. He knew someone would be watching the fight via the security cams, provided whoever it was had actually reported for duty. Soundwave's absence from the ship along with Megatron's guaranteed a general break down in disciple among the ranks.

He ripped something rather vital out of one of the Stunticons and started hoping in the back of his processor that Thundercracker would realize his trinemate had been unaccounted for too long to be good. The longer the fight went on, the black and purple mech even began hoping Starscream would get his head out of his aft and take stock of his trine's positions.

"Lights out flyer." Motor Master grinned triumphantly as he punched Skywarp across the face hard enough to leave dents.

As his systems began shutting down, he heard the familiar sound of Thundercracker's stride and sent out the message: "Better late than never," before going offline completely.

**Red Light** **by David Nail**

Trailbreaker could only stare at Sandstorm, unable to process the words coming out of the triplechanger's vocalizer. "What?"

"We're through." His tone remained completely neutral, optics behind the emotionless visor.

"But – why?" The black mech asked, confusion filling his voice. He sat with Sandstorm at their usual table in the merchant's café just like always did. The day had gone on like any other, nothing hinted at the thermonuclear bomb the black and orange mech had just dropped on him.

Sandstorm shrugged passively. "I don't plan on ever seeing you again." He stood up. "Good-bye Trailbreaker."

The black mech could only watch his now former lover leave the establishment, his jaw hanging to his chest plate as his processor tried to catch up with what had just happened.

The first coherent thought that made its way through his processor surprised him: they were right. Everyone who had known about Trailbreaker's relationship with Sandstorm had told him it was a mistake.

He ignored the thought and began trying to process recent events to find something that could have warned him that the triplechanger had planned to walk out of his life, but nothing came. Numb from shock, he sat there until he knew Sandstorm wouldn't be coming back. Finally, he stood, walked out of the café, and headed straight to Mixer's. With his world yanked out from under his peds, he didn't know what else to do except order the most expensive high grade at the bar and ask Mixer to keep them coming.


	15. Shuffle Fifteen

A/N: I do exist! Wow, has really been almost a year since I updated? Believe me, it's me a busy, busy year and I've actually been working on this shuffle for a few months. I want to thank everyone who has faved, watched, or read this in that time. I really appreciate it and it's incredibly rewarding to see people still reading this even when I haven't posted in forever. The good news is I have already started the first song for the next round (yeah!) and have recently loaded some new music on the ol' iPod so hope for more soon! Thank you all again, you're the best!

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'**What Was I Thinking' – Dierks Bently**

Sideswipe should have known it was too good to not have something go wrong.

In his defense, she never told him who her paternal spark happened to be.

As he stood in the entryway, the Lamborghini really, really wished he had asked.

"Sideswipe, what in the Pit do ya think yo doin' here?" The heavier mech glared down at the smaller of the two.

She didn't look THAT young! She really didn't!

"I didn't know you knew Sideswipe, Daddy." Platinum said cheerfully, not noticing Sides wince at the last word.

"Ah asked you a question. What in the Pit do ya think ya doin' here askin' fo' MY daughter."

"There's been a mistake. I swear to Primus, I didn't know she was your daughter." Sideswipe knew that his smooth vocalizer would not help him in this situation. It could only make things worse. It already ran the risk of getting worse. Her mother could be in the room.

The purple femme looked between the two mechs, concern growing on her delicate faceplates. "What's going on?"

"That's what Ah'm findin' out crystal bloom. Go talk to yo mama fo a moment."

Looking perplexed, the femme left the room, much to Sideswipe's silent pleas not to be left alone. With Platinum out of the room there were no witnesses.

"Now, Sideswipe, you wanna tell me what yo were plannin' on doin' with my daughter who's a third yo age?" Ironhide smiled savagely. "Take yo time. Ah got all night."

'**Please Don't Leave Me' –P!nk**

Skywarp stared at Thundercracker, his jaw hanging to his chest plate. "You're what?"

The blue Seeker looked mildly exasperated. "I said, I'm joining the Autobots! Slag the Decepticons and this fragging loosing war!"

"But you CAN'T!" The teleporter yelled, panic setting in. He didn't know what to do. His processor just couldn't compute what life would be like without the quietest of the trine. "You just can't!"

"Watch me!" TC snarled. "I thought you'd be happy! You're always vocalizing how I'm the weakest one, that you'd all be better off without me!"

Skywarp stalled. Had he actually vocalized that? Yes, yes he had, but he didn't fragging mean it! "But Megatron! And Starscream!"

"What about them?" Thundercracker turned his back on the black and purple flyer. "They don't care either." He took two steps towards the door and stopped.

For an astrosecond, Skywarp's self-destructing spark lifted at the hope that maybe it was all a stupid joke and that TC was just pulling his wing. He would turn around, laugh and call the obnoxious trine mate a moron. Then he spoke.

"Bye 'Warp." Vanishing into the dark hallway, Thundercracker left the teleporter alone.

The Seeker's legs trembled under him and finally failed, sending him crashing to his knees. He stayed there for cycles just trying to figure out what in the Pit he was supposed to next.

'**Downfall' – Matchbox Twenty**

Springer wiped the dull fluids of some dead Decepticon off the blade of his sword. He wondered how many had he destroyed by his hand alone, never mind what the Wreckers had done as a whole. How many lives had he personally ended?

What made him become an executioner? He always considered himself to be a nice guy. An easy going, fun loving, party-hardy type of mech. When had he become the type that spent his free time cleaning life fluids off his weapon?

"There you are! I've been looking all over the place for you!" Arcee's soft voice broke his processing as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder plates.

He smiled at the femme and gently tapped his forehead against hers. His spark fluctuated at the sight of a soft smile so full of love he didn't deserve.

Despite the horrors he had committed, her devotion to the green triplechanger never faltered. The lithe pink femme remained his one physical reminder that some how he hadn't yet condemned his spark to the Pit for the terrible things he had not only done, but had taken pleasure in doing.

He had only one prayer to Primus, and it didn't involve himself or even his teammates. Just a simple, silent prayer that Arcee's association with him never tainted her no matter how close she stayed to his spark.

'**Me Against the World' – Simple Plan**

She knew that they thought about her. She didn't have what it took to be a soldier. She always screwed up the missions. Moonracer knew the only thing she could do was keep trying.

They didn't know about her, what she had gone through, or even where she had come from. All they knew about her, they had decided in a few short decacycles.

She had lost a lot more than just her home the day the Decepticons destroyed the Towers. Her entire family had come home early that day to celebrate her finally completing her higher education, five solar cycles late.

Her life hadn't been going that well up to that point. First, all of her friends graduated on time and left. Then Mirage dumped her. On top of that, her family struggled to make ends meet because of how long she had stayed in school failing courses.

If she hadn't stopped at that bar trying to get picked up that day, she would have been destroyed with the rest of her family.

With nothing remaining for her in the past, she decided she would finally succeed at something in her life. She hadn't made it yet, but nothing would stop her. She would keep trying, keep showing them the cheerful exterior until the cycle came where she would prove herself to them all.

Somehow she would find a way to prove she did, in fact, deserve to live where some many others 'better' than her had perished. She would kill to prove it and to live long enough to see a world where she could at last get life right.

'**Girlfriend' – Avril Lavigne**

It took time for everyone to accept that Thundercracker had truly come over to the Autobots and not acting as a double agent. Once the intel he had given them had proven solid, he actually started showing up in the rec room. For some reason, no one quite knew why, Smokescreen took the former Decepticon under his wing, so to speak, and decided to help the flyer discover the finer points of Autobot life.

"So, what exactly is your type?"

"Are you serious?" TC couldn't help but laugh.

Smokey smirked. "I'm always serious. So, what's your type?"

The blue flyer looked out across the room and a distant fondness came over him. "I was with Skywarp."

"Okay, I can work with that." The Datsun processed a moment before the smirk returned in force. "How about one or both of the Lambo twins? They're both the rough and tumble type."

Thundercracker stared at his companion for a long moment before he finally gritted out between clenched dental plates: "Two words: Jet Judo."

Smokey froze. "Right, okay, no Lambos. Let's see….."

While the colorful Datsun muttered to himself in deep processes, TC glanced around the crowded room. In the back corner broke our, drawing the flyer's attention. A group of heavy-duty mechs (that he vaguely remembered being beaten up by) looked like they were having a good time. Then he saw him.

"Who is that? The black and orange mech in the corner."

Smokescreen glanced over to the table and his smirk became a full-blown grin. "That's Sandy, Sandstorm, he's one of the Wreckers."

"What's his type?" TC didn't dare look away.

"Actually, he's currently seeing one of the Arialbots." The Datsun leaned back in his seat to get a better view.

"The who? You all are groundpounders!" The former Decepticon let the odd Skywarp word pop into his vocabulary.

"Superion?" Smokey said mildly.

"Oh right." TC muttered. "So, this mech is into flyers. I can work with that. Which one?"

"Fireflight."

"Oh no slagging way! This mech needs to be shown what a real flyer is capable of!" TC shoved his seat back and started over to the other table.

Smokescreen grinned and just shook his head and waited for the impending chaos of a former Decepticon going up against the Arialbots and maybe that would be enough to impress Sandy.

"**Mad World" – Gary Jules**

What had happened? When had the whole fragging world become this horrible, never-ending nightmare? For frag's sake this was my slagging home! How did we let this happen? I keep telling myself that I had nothing to do with the destruction, but somehow, I can't shake the knowledge that yes, it IS my fault. Not in the direct I-dropped-a-thermonuclear-bomb-on-the-place way, but I should have done something and I didn't. None of us did, and now we must pay the price for our apathy with our lives.

Even if this war does end and I'm still alive to see it, Cybertron will never be the same. How could it? How can we ever go back to our everyday lives? The artists are warriors now, and rather deranged ones at that. The idle nobles now have blood on their hands that nothing can remove. Friends have lost friends at the hands of former friends and nothing can repair that. I mean, how can you sit across a table from the person who blew your buddy's processor out in front of you and NOT try to kill them even if you were the best of friends before the war?

And don't even get me started on lovers patching things back up. Love can't save everything. Some mechs who would like to remain anonymous have to deal with that every time they set foot on the battlefield. I'm just glad I'm not one of them. At least, not like some I know.

We did this to ourselves. There's no one to blame. There's nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. I used to hope and pray for peace. Now, I hope and pray that I'm extinguished before we get to that point. If they thought the war was the slagging Pit, trying to go back to the way things were is going to be even worse.

"**Wicked Game" – Chris Isaak (Revisited)**

He hadn't felt the warmth of love in so long he'd almost forgotten how easily that warmth could burn.

Trailbreaker knew it was his own slagging fault. He had taken her kind words and coy smile to mean more then they did. Arcee's kindness had never held the underlying shy romance he had always imagined.

The black mech settled in the dimmest corner of the rec room and made it as clear as he could through his body language that he wanted to be left alone. He tried not to hear her at one of the tables with Springer. The triplechanger had everything the defense strategist could want in an existence. Especially now it had become clear he had the love of the pink femme.

If only he hadn't tried to tell her how he felt. If he had just kept his vocalizer off he could have at least held onto the fantasies he had cultivated over the vorns.

At least it had ended before it ever got started. If he had to repeat what had happened before… no, he wouldn't bring that up. Instead he would sit alone and continue to wish for what he could never have.


	16. Shuffle Sixteen

A/N: Once again I do exist! It's been a crazy last several months with preparing to make and making major jumps forward in my life. I am sorry there are only 6, but I didn't want to delay posting any longer. My eternal thanks to everyone who has read this, commented, faved, and added to alerts! You all are the best! And as inspired by the trailers: classic Shockers! I am such a sucker for purple Decepticons LOL!

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**Pain and Retribution (from The Crow) by Graeme Revell**

Prowl stepped into the dark interrogation room. Starscream knew it could only be him: the self appointed angel of death. The mech had made himself into judge, jury and executioner all for the death of one simple Autobot.

The trine leader's audios picked up movement, and the barest light reflected off the strategist's chevron. Prowl had always been serious, but since Sideswipe's demise, he had turned into something cold, unfeeling and brutal.

No one was safe from Prowl. Rumours had spread throughout both Autobot and Decepticon ranks that Springer's untimely death had not happened in battle as the black and white mech had calmly reported. Some vocalized very quietly that the long running rivalry had finally been settled in the most permanent way possible.

"I will end your life here." Prowl murmured quietly in the darkness. "Like it ended for Skywarp, for Soundwave, far all the Stunticons…"

"Who cares?" Starscream snarled, interrupting his captor.

Prowl leaned over the flyer's shoulder and whispered ever so softly. "Because I will make sure your death is longer and far more painful then all of theirs combined. I have been waiting a long time for this moment and I will ensure it lasts as long as it can."

**Bother by Stoned Sour**

Thundercracker lay on the berth in his assigned Autobot quarters and stared into the darkness. He knew he had made the right choice, he had decided to the right thing. He just never processed how lonely he would be.

It was stupid, and foolish to even harbor the idea, but he wished Skywarp had come with him. The flyer wondered how his trine mate would handle having to face the world without his TC backing him up.

The blue mech cut the power to his optics. He hadn't had to fight yet as the whole Decepticon army seemed stunned by the deflection of one of the oldest members. He didn't know how he would face Screamer or Warp. He didn't believe he could pull the trigger on them. Well, maybe shooting Screamer wouldn't be completely out of the question, but Warp?

Would the Autobots force him to fire on them as a test of loyalty? There were plenty on the Ark who didn't believe his intentions were true. The twins especially seemed to be waiting for any excuse to practice their Jet Judo.

For now, he would wait, recharge, and hope the war ended before he had to face those he left behind.

**Porn Star Dancing by My Darkest Days**

There are some places in Kaon mechs and femmes of higher standing did not visit, but if they did, they made sure they weren't caught.

Mirage knew his parental sparks would frag him until he wouldn't be able to process his own name and then disown him if they knew where the noble sparked mech was spending their credits. And that was half the fun right there. The other half, of course, was what he spent those credits on.

The femmes were on display on the stage, the barest of plating in the flashiest colours accenting their perfect frames as they moved to the thrumming music. The lithe and just as scantily armoured mechs moved around the room serving high grade and servicing the patrons who could pay.

Glancing around the crowded room, but careful not to make optic contact with anyone, Mirage smirked. He recognized quite a few of the patrons from around the Towers. While most of them made a big deal of going to the Prestige and the galleries, these clubs were where the credits were really being spent.

For a moment, the blue and white mech pitied the poor who could never appreciate these simple pleasures in life. It didn't last long, as soon as a sweet piece of chassis sashayed by, it was back to experiencing those pleasures himself.

**The End is the Beginning is the End by Smashing Pumpkins**

Once Shockwave discovered that femmes still existed on Cybertron, they became his primary focus. The entire Decepticon army, Megatron included, processed the calculating mech was incapable of appreciating the femme form. How fortunate, they would never know.

"What is your designation, femme?" He addressed the lithe, lovely if clumsy, teal Autobot the purple mech had captured in his lab.

She stared defiantly back at her captor through the energized bars of the sparse cell. "What do you care you sick excuse of a glitch?"

If he could have smiled then, he would have at that moment. "I might not get out much, but I recall it being a courtesy before overloading a femme's system to ask her designation."

Moonracer's optics widened in revelation and fear as the meaning of his words processed and he deactivated the current on the cell door.

**I Get Off by Halestorm**

Arcee registered his optics following her every move around the office. She knew it and made sure to sway her hips just a little bit more, bend over a little further when placing the data pads on his desk and give him coy little smiles when she glanced up at him.

It heated her circuits to tease the Autobot leader like she did. The pink femme knew Elita One would rip her cooling system out through her trachea if her superior officer had any inkling what she was doing. And that made what she did even more exciting.

So far, Optimus had resisted, but with every cycle she could detect his resistance weakening. The consequences would be unimaginable for both of them, but the power of a pretty femme on a lonely mech rendered all rational programming useless.

**In the Air Tonight by Nonpoint**

"Sometimes accidents happen, don't they?" Sunstreaker asked softly as he pressed the muzzle of his blaster against the metal of Bumblebee's head.

"What's going on Sunny?" The younger mech asked with a shaky vocalizer.

"I know what you've been doing since Sides left on mission." The sociopath's voice stayed calm and controlled. "You thought no one would notice the femme hanging around you, but I did."

"Sunstreaker-"

The golden mech's voice dropped to a whisper. "I've noticed and I'm not going to be like everyone else and pretend I don't see. You betrayed my brother and I don't forgive that."

"If I were you, I'd been more concerned about what Tracks is doing at the moment." Jazz's voice broke through the tense silence.

Sunstreaker looked back as the black and white mech materialized out of the darkness, his mouth set in a stern frown. "Something you want to share?"

"No. But it's something you might want to check." The 2IC met the cold glare without flinching.

Sunstreaker yanked back his firearm and stormed past Jazz. Once his heavy footfalls faded, Bumblebee managed to get back to his uncertain feet.

"Thanks Jazz."

"It ain't right what you did to Sideswipe. You deserve something for that, but not what Sunny had planned." Jazz's voice remained cold as he turned and disappeared back into the darkness.


	17. Shuffle Seventeen

****A/N: Happy New Year! I do exist! I know it's been forever and a day, but my TF muse has been duking it out with my Appleseed muse and finally won a round. That's also my reason there are only four. It seems the battle wore out the ol' muse too much to be of much use at the moment. I once again thank everyone who still reads this! I hope you all enjoy the quick trip through the shuffle!

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**Short Change Hero by The Heavy**

Prowl walked through the halls of the Hub and carefully ignored that every one carefully avoided optic contact with him. The strategist's reputation as being the enforcer of all procedures and swift justice to those who would dare break them preceded the black and white mech wherever he went.

That is, until he came across Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. The only subordinates on the entire station that not only made optic contact, but walked right up and started a conversation with him.

The Lambo twins didn't cower before any of their superior officers, least of all Prowl. They tested his knowledge of the procedures, and challenged his willingness to carry out the punishments to the fullest extent possible. Always forcing the black and white to stay vigilant.

And Prowl wouldn't want them any other way.

They behaved the way they did in part because that's just the way they were, but Prowl appreciated them at a deeper level. He considered them, and anyone else they roped into their crazy schemes proof that mech didn't have to be upstanding soldiers with perfect Academy records like Springer to be good Autobots.

They were going to win the war, and it would be thanks to the wild cards that questioned and challenged and never simply accepted what they were told.

**The Humbling River by Puscifer**

The war raged on.

They were losing.

Skywarp stared out the _Nemesis_' viewport and found he didn't giving a fragging slag.

Things had been so different since Thundercracker left. The flier hadn't gotten through a full recharge cycle yet, and didn't see that changing any time soon. He hadn't felt so lost since the time in his life when he hadn't known TC; when he had bounced from job to job, bar to bar, never with a purpose.

Warp had never realized how much time Screamer devoted to making Megatron's life the Pit until TC wasn't there to distract him. The trine leader completed the unit, it was true, but he just couldn't direct Warp the way the noble sparked mech could. They just completed each other in ways neither could ever describe.

Resting a hand against the cold barrier and wondered were the blue flier could be, and if he thought of him at all. Warp realized he wanted the war to end, by any means, so he could start looking for the one he needed.

Thundercracker might not have physically been there, but he would still be the black and purple mech's guiding force.

**Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton) by Lonely Island**

Optimus Prime and Prowl took off with Elita One for some diplomatic mission, leaving Jazz in charge with the rest of the femme unit stationed at the base until the leaders returned.

And there was much rejoicing among the ranks.

It hadn't taken much arm-twisting to get Wheeljack to build a DJ booth worthy of the clubs back on Cybertron in the rec room. As soon as he got off duty, Jazz was on the job turning the whole _Ark_ into a jumping party. The twins were given the distinct honor of spiking the Energon dispensers with finest High Grade they could acquire.

It didn't take long to get everyone over energized and feeling good. With the mechs out numbering the femmes by a large margin, the warrior femme's claimed the tables to dance on so they could enjoy themselves without being crushed in the crowd.

When the party was really getting going, Jazz noticed an incoming text message on his private comm line. Grateful he didn't have to try to sound sober, he read the transmission and tried not to choke on his cube of High Grade.

_Jazz- In case you processed otherwise, I do not enjoy diplomatic missions more than a party. I expect to be invited next time. And tell Trailbreaker he missed cutting the security feed from the rec room to my datapad. –OP_

**Bitch Came Back by Theory of a Deadman**

Most of the Autobot army processed that Arcee was one of the sweetest, loveliest femmes any of them had ever met, but the Wreckers knew better.

She was physically stronger than she looked, and she knew how to use that strength to get her way. If she got slagged off and one of the Wreckers got in her way, she wouldn't hesitate to put them into the nearest wall.

The femme could even throw Springer around when she set her processor to it.

Arcee could even have the foulest vocalizer any of them had ever heard when she was in the mood. Whenever she came onboard _Xi_, the Wreckers all knew it was time to get off the ship or they weren't getting any recharge time in because she could also be heard from any part of the ship.

The worst part was, Springer thought it was the hotter then the Pit when his femme got her glitch on and saw nothing wrong with getting fragged by her whenever and wherever she felt like it. Accidently walking in on them in the wash racks, the rec room, _the bridge_, ranked up there with getting a once over by Ratchet in "Things We Never Want to Experience".

The worst part was, no one would believe that the pretty, demure femme could be capable of such actions, no one except Ultra Magnus. Having commanded both Arcee and Springer on base at the same time, he knew and never hesitated to find the fleeing Wreckers someplace to crash.


End file.
